The smile of the Cheshire
by MsWolffe
Summary: "I am the Cheshire. The White Queen and Queen of Miracles. I am Silence, and Mercy. I learn, I walk, I listen, I see. You won't hear from me my story, but you'll be welcomed to help me write it along the way." Naruto/OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my very first fanfic, and I'm quite nervous of posting it online so reviews are very much appreciated! They're like cookies for me. Who doesn't love getting cookies?**

* * *

_Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park,_

_ I asked God who I'm supposed to be._

Priscilla Ahn- Dream

* * *

She had been clear in the limits she put from a young age. It was a fairly simple frontier; from this side, herself- and her bear- and from the other, the rest of the world.

Because Cheshire never quite belonged to where she was at the moment, no. She was always a day in the past, a foot already set in the future, sometimes arriving so early that she was already late and had to go before she got there. Because she couldn't stop moving, walking, running.

The first time they saw each other- No, no, that's not right. The first time _he_ saw her, because she had seen him before, of course- that first glance at the little girl told him that she was something else, she had that _je-ne-sais-quoi_ that separated her from the rest of the people; perhaps was the way she carried herself, gliding across the floor like she floated effortlessly, perhaps her wide open eyes, gleaming and watching, observing everything around her trying to remember every nook and crack of that whole new place. But perhaps, and only perhaps, it was because of the smile she directed towards him when their eyes crossed. A smile that was a little bit too wide and too feral to be fully human. It sent shivers down the blonde boy spine, and he averted his eyes as fast as he could.

Naruto was certain of one thing: he did not like that grin.

He saw her occasionally after that, roaming the village. Sometimes she was by herself, some other times with a grown-up with ridiculously messy white hair- Naruto wasn't sure who that was, only that he was a ninja from the village- and soon watching her became a somewhat new interesting activity for him, something to put his attention on between eating ramen with Iruka sensei and practicing his- hopeless- hand signs. Because that girl was strange, he decided, the way she was there but at the same time seemed to be somewhere else, far away, a place that probably had some resemblance to a fairy tale. Because she saluted the birds and cats every morning with a polite nod of her head, despite the looks people gave her. He caught her once walking slowly in the rain with her eyes closed, while the people all around her- including himself- run to find a haven from the downpour. But he never had the courage to talk to her. Oh, well, _si Mahoma no va a la montaña..._

* * *

It had been a bad day for him. Of course that it wasn't like he hadn't had bad days already, he was used to being lonely, having a vicious demon sealed inside of him and whatnot- not that he was aware of it. But today, for some reason he felt lonelier than other days, perhaps it was something to do with his sensei having to be away for a mission. He was sitting by himself on one of the swings of a park, while the kids played with their parents around him. Of course, nobody dared to be near the cursed boy; who would? He was a disaster after all, and a good for nothing hyperactive knucklehead. Naruto closed his eyes for a second and sighed. And when he opened them again, she was there in front of him, looking at him straight in the eye, her face only a few inches away from his. He jumped, and fell off the swing, landing in his butt.

"Oh, sorry, didn't quite mean to do that. But then again, I always end up doing things I don't mean to... Not that that's a bad thing _all_ the time, sometimes it helps making the day more... interesting, per say. But I'm rambling, am I not? Okku would be mad at me if he listened to me rambling..." And she went off saying some other stuff he wasn't interested into hearing.

The boy got up and dusted himself off, slightly irritated at her, but more curious of the girl. He noticed she was pretty short, and he mentally kicked himself for not noticing that before. He also discovered a thin, long scar that ran along the right side of her face. It looked painful, he decided.

"...But anyway, that's not what I wanted to say." She played with a strand of her hair.

"Who are you?" Naruto simply blurted out, manners completely ignored.

She just smiled that grin, and another shiver ran down his spine.

"Oh, I don't know that. Yet. I suppose I'll know that later. If you're asking for a name, you can call me Cheshire. Or Chesh. What's your name?"

Too many words. He nodded and made as if he understood any of it, and made a mental note to remember her name. Cheshire. That sounded very much foreign to his ears, was she from another place?

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm going to be the next Hoka-"

She snickered, interrupting him in mid-speech. How rude of her, he was telling her his glorious dream.

"Oh, so _you_ are the boy who everybody's afraid of?- She grinned, but her eyes stopped gleaming- I see. People will be people, no matter where I go..."Her voice sounded... _sad?_

No, no, no. Bad Cheshire, _BAD. _Do not go in there; do not think of those unthinkable things, not now. Focus, you fool. Focus.

He looked at her, confused. Ah, right. She had been silent for a minute or so.

"Sorry. It's just that you don't appear so threatening to me. That's all." The small girl shrugged, and sat on the swing he was using minutes ago.

"Hey, what do you mean by that? I'm really strong! I AM going to be the next Hokage, and I WILL be the strongest, fastest, and bestest ninja in the world! If you doubt it I can show it to you, I bet I can win in a fight against someone as _short _as you!" Oh, he was angry. Really angry.

"Best." She offered.

"Huh?"

"It's 'best', not 'bestest'. And I wasn't trying to pick a fight, you know... I was just saying you don't look at all like someone who would kick a puppy. I don't get why people don't come near you, you seem nice enough; quite energetic too. And I like your eyes, they're a nice blue. I like blue eyes."

"Oh. Sorry, I guess...- He wasn't sure what he said. He was used to people rejecting him, not telling him nice things."

"But watch out your vocabulary. Your grammar too, if you would. Okku says it's impossible for someone to take you seriously if you don't speak correctly."

"You speak like an old person." He looked at her, from head to toe "How old are you anyway?"

"I'm ten, since a month ago."

He blinked, dumbfounded.

"But you look so... so _small_! You're the same age as me, but you look like eight, and speak like you were forty. You're weird." It was more than a simple statement. A declaration.

She grinned. He shivered. It was becoming a habit.

"Okku says it's good to be weird sometimes." And her grin became wider at the thought of her beloved Okku.

_"Okku, Okku, she had been repeating that name for a while now. Who on Earth is Okku?" - _The boy thought.

"So, why do you want to become Hokage, huh?" She changed the subject too fast.

"That's easy, I want to be someone who everybody admires!" He smiled broadly at her.

"I like your smile. It shines, like the sun. It's a good smile, you know?" She mirrored his smile.

Once again he nodded with a serious face. What had she meant by that? A shiny smile? His teeth were too white?

"I'm sorry, but I need to go, too many places to be on too little time. We'll speak later, yes? I like you, you seem like a good friend."

And with that being said, she turned around and left, almost floating above the floor with a light skip in her step.

Yes, indeed. She was very weird.

* * *

A week later it was Naruto who found Cheshire this time. She was sitting next to a pond in the outskirts of Konoha with a huge brown bear. And she was talking to him. He knew that in the ninja world there existed talking animals, but still... the sight of the petite girl next to the gigantic animal, both talking like good friends, it was a curious thing.

"You sure of that, cub? I'm not easy with allowing you to gallivant alone in this big world. You're young and naive, and have hunters at your tail. I'd prefer you stayed here for a while..." The bear spoke to her with a rumbling deep voice.

"If I don't move, I die. You know that." She was caressing the animal's head in her lap. "If I don't move... If I don't move..."

Because staying in one place too long was bad. Staying meant that she was still, and if she was still then a lot of things would catch up with her. No! _Bad _Cheshire. It's no use on dwelling on the past. So keep on running towards the future, as fast as you can, without staying put, not once, never. And _no one_ could make her stay. She was wild and free, as a lot of creatures should be. She was not tamed, and never would be. So she'll run away, far away...

"Hey Chesh! Who's that, huh?"

The girl snapped out of her reverie and put on her overstretched grin on her face. She turned her head around to look at the blonde boy who was now sitting next to her.

"Hey there, Naruto. Nice night for an evening, don't you think? This"- she gestured towards the animal- "Is Okku. He's my best friend."

The bear sniffed him solemnly and clicked his tongue.

"He smells honest, cub. I'll give him that."

Said that, the animal laid his head on the girl's lap again, and closed his eyes, dozing off.

The evening was spent relaxing- or not so much due to someone's amount of energy- and chattering about different topics, Cheshire focusing the conversation around Naruto and not herself.

* * *

And so months went by, and he started to learn some things about the girl. Her forest green eyes faintly gleamed in the dark. Her cheek muscles didn't feel strain at all with her smiles. She liked feeling the wind in her long hair. Her favourite food in the world were cherries, and her favourite colours were white and green. But none of those things were actually answered by her, because Cheshire never answered.

"_Hey Chesh, where are you from? You came here a couple of months ago, right?"_

"_I'm from a very faraway place. If you walked until your feet bled and until your breath faltered, you'd be halfway there."_

"_Don't you have a family?"_

"_In a certain way, Okku's my family."_

"_Is it your real name? Cheshire?"_

"_Ah, the definition of 'real' is something to ponder about, isn't it?"_

* * *

But one day, she had had enough. It was a year since she had came into Konoha, and she could not take it any longer. She _would_ not take it any longer.

So she left.

Quickly and in silence, like the wind beneath a bird's wings. And she left without saying good-bye to anyone, not that she was impolite, but she was just terribly bad at departures.

But why would she say goodbye? She was Cheshire. She come and went as she pleased, with no one to tell her no, and no chains to keep her from roaming free. Walking down the road, with Okku at her side, she took out a map out from her satchel, and planned her next destination with a smile on her face. Oh yes, north she should go, where she could learn new things, and listen to new stories.

"Are you going to walk the whole way, Child?" The animal asked her.

She didn't answer. Because Cheshire did not gave answers. She just smiled even broader and vanished effortlessly without a sound. The bear chuckled and disappeared too, him doing so with a _poof_ and white smoke.

* * *

**A/N: So.. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! **

**_Je-ne-sais-quoi_: literally, "I don't know what", a french saying, something that's difficult to name.**

**_Si Mahoma no va a la montaña, la montaña va a Mahoma:_ If Mahoma doesn't go to the mountain, the mountain will go to Mahoma. A Spanish saying.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Next chapter is up!**

* * *

Once upon a time there was a pretty little girl who lived in a pretty house. She had a loving mother who sang lullabies to her, and a strong father who carried her on his shoulders.

Then mommy died, and everything slowly turned gray. Daddy tried to make things colourful again, but he was a busy man, and the pretty little girl did not ask much from him. She was a good daughter, and he was a good father.

But one day, the girl was gone. And they searched everywhere, but could not found a single trace. It hadn't been her fault; Cheshire hadn't wanted to leave her home, not at least without a last hug to daddy and a request for him to read her a story...

She had been walking that day, humming an old tune her mommy used to sing when she thought no one else was listening, and made the mistake of getting too far in the forest. She knew that forest like the back of her hand, and usually animals would come to her, no matter how wild. But that was not a usual day.

Poor, poor pretty little Cheshire.

* * *

If only she had known all the bad that would come from following a golden eagle, she wouldn't have even gazed at the shiny bird.

The girl woke up with a grunt and refused to open her eyes for a while. She was sleepy, and tired, couldn't memories decide to appear in her dreams some other night? At least this time it hadn't been that bad, it was an innocent memory. Or something like that.

But she couldn't dwell on that, _bad_ Cheshire, _bad._ Today she had a busy day ahead of her, and she needed to get everywhere on time. So she finally opened her eyes and stretched beside her oversized animal companion.

"Hey, come on Papa Bear." She gently poked his skull "Wake up. The sun is up already and shining and asking us to go out. Come on, or he'll be angry."

Okku sighed and raised his head, blinking the sleep off.

"The sun is not going anywhere, Child. Trust the word of a bear, for we bears are honest." But nevertheless he got up and shook a bit under the sun.

Cheshire got up too, and made a vain attempt to get rid of the wrinkles in her dress, not putting too much effort on the task. She looked around herself and drank in her surroundings: the same never-ending grasslands of the last night, with a few rocks scattered here and there, and that rabbit hole with the rabbit family some meters to the left. She liked rabbits.

"Cub? Are you okay? You seem lost in your mind" There was concern in the animal's voice.

"M'fine. Just looking at this place. It's a nice place, we should spend some time here..." She smiled a half smile that never quite reached her eyes.

"But you're feeling it again, aren't you?" Okku asked her.

The dark-haired girl looked down to her bare feet. Where were her sandals? Oh, right; right in front of her. She grabbed them and put them on.

"Yes. I am. We- _I_- need to leave. Besides lately I've been feeling guilty..." She trailed off, looking at some imaginary point in the horizon.

"Oh? That's new. Guilty about what?"

"I never said goodbye. It's been two years, Okku."

"You never had a problem before with leaving without trace. What's different now, Child?"

Cheshire furrowed her eyebrows, trying to think on that elusive answer. But her wit failed her, and she just found herself irritated. Why, why? She had been on many places before, then what was so special about this village? The people were almost like the rest of the people. Some were nice, some weren't, most of them were afraid of what they couldn't control. People were people, here or at the other side of the world. But... It _was_ a nice place. She _had_ met some nice people. Was it bad of her to leave like that? They should have understood, she was not tamed, and she didn't like to have chains- weather metaphorically or literally. And then she frightened herself with a miraculous revelation: it _had_ been bad of her to leave like that.

_Bad_ Cheshire, _bad._

"I don't know, Okku. I honestly don't know. But I think I should find out the answer."

"To Konohagakure then?"

"Yeah."

* * *

_Split. Split. Split, split, split, splash!_

Rain was music to her ears, and soon she thought about a dozen different lyrics to accompany that melody. Some were fast and happy, some slow and melancholic, some rhymed every third word with the termination _"othfuss"_.

_Split. Split. Split, split, split, splash!_

She wondered why so many people disliked it. It was a good thing, the rain; it helped plants grow, provided free water. Rain washed away dirty things, no matter how dirty, no matter how much blood was staining a white dress...

No, no. _Bad _Cheshire, _bad_ girl.

She looked at the giant gates, about a kilometre or so ahead of her. Yeah, she supposed she could enter through them like any normal human being... Oh, wait. Cheshire wasn't normal.

She smiled a sardonic smile.

They probably would ask too many questions she wasn't interested in answering. "Who are you?" "Why are you here?" "Why did you run away last time?" "How do we know you're not a spy sent to acquire information?" _Boring_ people with their _boring_ questions; would it be much harm to ask what her favourite fairy tale was? Or how many sugar spoons she liked in her tea?

Nope, she was way too tired to submit herself willingly to that kind of torture; though it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened to her. Two times she was refused the entrance to other villages, because of her looks and grin; and of course, the new names she forged herself almost subconsciously at every step. At the Waterfall Village she was banned from entering, not for being Cheshire, because Chesh did not hurt anyone; but for being Malchance. Malchance of the Fallen, Malchance the Witch Child, Malchance the Grinning Death.

She liked that name though. Malchance sounded noble to her ears, and Cheshire didn't care that some people were afraid of it. Because Malchance was a name to be respected, yet, fortunately, a name that couldn't travel too far; it was too heavy to be carried by the wind. She was fine with that too, because now she wanted to be Cheshire, or just Chesh.

So no, she wouldn't enter the village the _normal_ way, no.

While keeping track on the way that cloud looked surprisingly like a squirrel holding a nut, she vanished without a sound; gradually and quickly, like she hadn't been there in the first place.

* * *

A Blonde with blue eyes, another one with pink hair, and that broody-looking kid; all accompanied with a tall man with a mask covering half his face. Cheshire grinned an unnatural grin and casually strode past them, stealing a quick glance at the blonde boy. He kept on walking, apparently bickering with the other boy, while the girl was shouting at them. Only a couple of meter ahead all three realised their sensei wasn't behind them anymore, and they came to a stop to find why.

He was talking to a girl their age, who smiled a lot and looked short and fragile. The girl in question was dressed in an off the shoulder white dress with too-long sleeves. She had bandages on her legs peeking out underneath the hem of her dress- a little bit above her knees- and black mid-calves sandals. Every time she moved, a jingling sound came from a pair of small silver sleigh bells that hanged from her neck.

It took Naruto a few seconds before the realisation downed on him.

"Cheshire?" He said out loud, and with a light jog he approached them.

"...So, I'm sorry. I went away without letting you know, and that was ungrateful. You took me in and offered me a shelter, yet I wondered away without even thanking you." She was saying to the gray haired man.

The man looked at her, looking _through_ her with one eye. Finally he sighed and ran a hand through his own hair.

"You can't help it, can you? Leaving like that I mean. It's something you don't quite control" He said.

"No" She smiled a somewhat sad smile "No it's not. I don't know it's just that sometimes I... I _need_ to leave. I feel this tugging, this itch that doesn't go away unless I leave. I'm... I'm sorry, Kakashi" She then bent down in an exaggerated bow and pronounced some foreign words too fast and too low.

"So, are you staying this time?" The man asked her slowly; as if he was afraid his question would make her jump and run.

"Permanently? No. Perhaps someday I'll stay in one place. Once I'm free from all my unfinished businesses. But I'll be around for a while, perhaps two weeks, or three months. Or the necessary time it takes until somebody kicks me out." Cheshire smiled.

"Hey, Cheshire! Is that really you?!" Naruto said brightly when he catched up to them.

The girl looked at him, half a smile on her lips, and cocked her head to the side, making the little bells jiggle.

"Why, I don't know Naruto, am I really myself? That's an interesting question isn't it?" She looked at him straight in the eye.

"_Geez_, what is it with you and speaking like that? You could just have said 'hello' you know..."

He hated that he felt so stupid around her, but it was her fault! Why did she have to talk like that all the time? It was exhausting to him trying to decipher the meaning of what she said. So he almost never tried it, he just nodded and accepted what she said. Because with Cheshire that's what you needed to do, no questioning or making her feel cornered.

"Oh? Just a simple hello would have made it? Well then..."

She suddenly put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, muttering a simple 'hello' in his ear.

As fast as she did it she let go of him, and left him there, blinking, confused, and with a slight blush.

It was then when he learned another thing about Cheshire: she liked to be free with her affections the same way she liked to roam free this world. If she wanted to hug you, or pat you on the shoulder, or ruffle your hair, she _would_ do it. She was Cheshire after all.

The other two kids arrived walking at a much slower pace than what Naruto had done, and the short girl eyed them both curiously. Pink hair. She was not a lover of pink colour; it was too bright on her eyes, keen to attract too many looks. But this girl with an offensive hair colour looked pretty nevertheless, or so Cheshire thought. The black haired boy looked too _dark_. She usually liked darkness, but there was something about _his_ darkness that she did not like. He _smelled_ dark too.

"Oh, right!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed "These are Sakura" He said so with such a sweet voice "and Sasuke, but don't pay attention to him, he's not worth it"

The pink haired girl hit the blonde in the head in a rather harsh way. Cheshire assumed it would have hurt her a lot, had she been the target. Then again, had she been the target she would have most likely evaded the blow.

"Naruto! If you're going to introduce people at least do it properly, you stupid!" Sakura shouted. "Are you never going to grow up, or what?!"

Ouch. Too loud for Chesh's sensitive ears; but at least this girl- _Sakura_, a new name to remember- enjoyed of having powerful lungs, a thing not everybody could have.

The petite girl gazed at the other one, Sasuke was it? Yeah that sounded about right. He appeared to be irritated and trying to ignore his teammates. There was something about that scowl that made Cheshire wanted to laugh, but instead, she stood in front of him. Right in front of him.

Meaning, their noses almost touching.

Instead of backing up like most people would have done, Sasuke merely glared at her with an arched disapproved eyebrow.

"What on Earth are you doing?" He demanded.

"Reading you. That's wrong you know; it's going to backfire some time. So stop doing it." She furrowed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes. After a final look, she stepped back.

"You have 'resentment' and 'revenge' written all over your face. That's not a good thing, and if something isn't good then it's bad. And bad is _bad_." She looked back at Kakashi. "Right?"

The older man chuckled at her.

"Yes, bad _is_ bad." He reassured her.

The girl nodded.

"Good" She seemed proud of herself "At least I don't have those mixed up. I'd love to stay, but I have things to do. See you all later, Sakura, Sasuke; it was a pleasure meeting such unique individuals as you." And with that she started walking away with resolved steps.

Only then Naruto seemed to remember something.

"Hey, Chesh! Where's Okku?" He called after her.

The girl stopped and looked above her shoulder.

"Why, I can't walk around _all_ the time with a giant bear behind me. Scares the children. I haven't summoned him since I arrived here." Not a single word and she kept on walking.

"...Who was that?" Sakura said after a couple of minutes.

"That" The kid's sensei answered "Is Cheshire. She's something else, be nice to her."

* * *

**I hope you liked it :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**New chapter:) This is a little bit longer than the other ones.**

* * *

"_Never kill little girl. Never kill unless you really have to." A brown haired man with a beard had said._

"_Why not?" The little girl was confused; she had been learning to fight since she was four. _

"_Because it's _bad_. And because with every unnecessary death we cause, we become tainted. We- animals, humans- are all connected at some primal base. Life itself is our connection and it should not be in our power to put an end to that connection, unless we truly need to. Do you understand?" He looked at her like if she was an adult._

_She had always liked that, the looks he gave to her. Most grown-ups would have looked at her as if she was a mere child, a little six year old girl with a cute pretty face. A pity that scar, though._

"_Not really" She admitted "How can there be a connection? I never noticed anything."_

_The man thought a few seconds, and then smiled. He signalled her to sit down with her legs crossed, mirroring his position. She did as told and waited expectantly for _something_ to happen. _

"_Remember what I've been teaching you? We're taking it to the next level now. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and focus. Relax your body, and I want you to be as aware as you can of everything around you without using your eyes."_

_She did so, and felt the fresh grass underneath her legs. She was aware of the weight of her light dress against her skin. She smelled some roses she hadn't quite seen yet, and she heard a rabbit jumping enthusiastically. She liked rabbits._

_This went on for minutes, or perhaps hours; but then again, it always did. Her sensei only agreed to actually teach her something after she was in this state long enough for her not to care about the time. Patience was the key to many things. _

"_Good. Now I want you to focus and to _feel_ your own chakra. Feel it running through your body, feel its scent, its taste. And let it roam free without any restriction. Feel it in your stomach, and at the tip of your fingers."_

_She was starting to feel warmth spreading all the way along her body, and a tingling feeling that just felt _right. _It was one of her favourite exercises, this style of meditation. It just allowed her to find some sort of inner peace without having to think, she loved being in this trance. _

"_Now, focus into breaking the binding that keeps your own chakra _inside_ your body. Feel it escaping away while still belonging to you, because even if you let it free, it's still yours and it will answer at your orders. Feel gliding through the grass and flying in the wind, climbing into trees and playing with the bird's feathers. And break the lock."_

'_Break the lock' was the first hand sealing he had taught her, it was a sealing that allowed her to get access to a better control of her chakra, while letting it lose. But she only could make it properly at this state, when she was so focused that she forgot how to think with her own brain. In this state, she was able to realise many things she wouldn't have in her normal state, and she became a more primal being, she flirted with the essence of life itself, but she often forgot who she was and who was who. In this state, she was nothing more than a vessel to encage spirit and power, and the only role she played was of guarding the barrier so that nothing that _shouldn't_ break lose did so. _

_Without even noticing, she made the hand sealing. She broke the lock. _

_And a thousand colours and sounds exploded in her mind around her, here a purple cloud appeared with a _poof_, there it was a jiggling sound that left a sweet vanilla taste in her tongue, at some even deeper point of her psyche she smelled the aroma of a fire and felt its warmth. She could see everything around her in a symphony of colours and sounds and scents and tastes, she was aware of those thirty-three ants making their way through the grass, she was aware of those blue jays playing with each other in the air, and in front of her, that bright earthy red light that stood there like a gentle guardian. _

_But everything was overwhelming, and even if she wanted to keep _feeling_ the world around her, everything suddenly ceased. She found herself with both eyes open wide, a large grin on her lips, and completely out of breath._

"_See, little girl? We're all connected to the world around us. But not many people have the time to stop and realise it. A shame, actually, if more people knew what I just taught you, perhaps there would be more understanding between humans. Less senseless wars to obtain power, but that's only a dreamer's wish. If you keep practicing that trick long enough you'll be able to maintain that connection for a longer time, or even do it subconsciously."_

_He got up to start preparing the lunch, and left there a little girl with a huge grin and high hopes. And even in her young naïveté she came to the realisation that Santino would always be the best sensei she'll have, even if not the first of the last._

* * *

"...ire...Shire..."

What was that? There was a sound that interrupted her train of thoughts. Cheshire did not like being interrupted, least by an alien sound that she did not know where it came from.

"Cheshire. Cheshire. Are you listening to me?" A voice behind her back said. An irritated voice, by the way.

The girl sighed and resigned to open her eyes, but she kept sitting on the ground with her palms on her knees. Why would anyone interrupt her when she was clearly meditating? Or trying to, at least.

"No" The girl answered, and a smile could be guessed in her voice.

She said nothing else, and waited.

Then the voice- male, young, approximately her age- started talking again. Oh, poor Chesh, she had to withstand this atrocious agony!

"That's not your real name, is it? 'Cheshire'." The voice said again.

"No." She answered politely.

She felt a shifting behind her, and the owner of the voice walked in front of her. Ah yes, Sasuke, she remembered him from a few days ago. He still smelled _dark_.

The boy had been observing at her since she got to that patch of grass next to a busy road. At first he was just fine with watching the girl sit down and stare at the sky above her. Later on, he was just fine with watching her when she crossed her legs and hummed under her breath, trying to focus. But when she spent the better part of an hour in the exact same position, he was beginning to wonder about her. And when he saw the way the wind played wildly with her long dark hair- when there was no wind at all, except around her- he had wanted answer to his questions.

"Who are you then?" He demanded, looking down to where she was sitting.

"I _am_ Cheshire. Even if that's not the name I was born with, it _is_ who I am. At least for now." She looked at him with her head cocked to the side.

"What is your real name then?" Sasuke was not impressed by her answer, apparently.

Her eyes gleamed in a mysterious way, and he could have sworn he saw the reflection of a wolf looking at him from behind the green panes.

"That's for me to know, and for you to ponder about."

Because sometimes Cheshire answered the questions, even if people thought that they were useless answers, she still did. She thought it was mean of her to _never_ answer anything, and she didn't wanted to become mean.

He stared at her. Observed her movements, her face, from her bright forest green eyes to her full lips twisted in an overstretched smile. He studied her long dark brown hair, and put special attention on the scar that started at her forehead, passed through her eyebrow, eyelid- _"impressive that she still kept the sight"_ He thought- run the length of her cheek, touched the corner of her mouth, and ended at her chin. He looked at the way the sleeves of her dress hide her arms and hands, and he noticed a sheathed katana at her side. The sheath looked expensive, all black with details in some light metal. He stared at her long and hard, but found nothing, not a thing that gave him any answers as for who she was.

"How did you know I want revenge?" He said carefully, his tone imperturbably cold.

"I _know_ and that's it. I _am_ a knower after all, among other things." Cheshire said as if it was an obvious answer.

"What do you mean?"

This girl was getting weirder and weirder every passing second.

"I mean I was trained as many things. I am a tracker, a ninja, and a mercenary. I am a knower, a listener, a storyteller; I remember and make sure people don't forget about things that shouldn't be forgotten. I am an assassin. I am a pacifist. I am Cheshire after all." Her grin stretched even more.

Less and less she looked like a human, and more and more Sasuke felt he was in presence of some mythical creature.

"You're twelve years old." He pointed out. "You can't know that many things."

"I... I have been in many places. I had been trained to fight since very, very young." And her eyes wandered off, and she was far, far away, in a beautiful village at the edge of the world...

"You don't look like you know how to fight. You look pretty weak."

"I _am_ weak in a lot of senses. But I am strong- or so I've been told. Look, I'm not saying I'm the most powerful person you'll find, because that would be lying, and lying is _bad._ I never lie. I'm simply stating that I was raised differently than most people you know. I was taught to follow another branch of the logic tree, a more twisted one. I've been trained to do many things, because someone has to do the things nobody wants to. And I know how to kill. That's it."

He raised a single eyebrow, noticeably unconvinced by her speech. Oh, well, Chesh had seen worse.

"Whatever" He just said, and walked away with his hands on his pockets.

Who was this girl to talk that way, anyway? She was probably just another loser trying to get attention, just like Naruto. For a second he had thought that maybe she was something else, but he was wrong, apparently. He just managed to waste his time.

* * *

She went away a couple of days. A whole week, she had decided. To some place warmer- not too warm, of course- but warm and sunny enough to help her cope with the darkness she had encountered. She would have just appeared inside Konoha, but she was tired. She preferred the easy task of walking instead of all the mental work that vanishing required, so she simply walked through the gates, or at least she tried to. The shinobi in charge of guarding the entrance both looked at her, without much trust, even if they _had_ seen her around a lot of times.

"Good morning gentlemen!" Cheshire greeted brightly, in a sing sang voice.

She made the intent to enter the village, but one of the men grabbed her by the shoulder, gently, but still firmly. She turned around, apparently confused, yet with a knowing gleam in her eyes.

"Oh? Can I do something for you?" She humbly asked.

"We were just wondering" The man said "Who are you? You weren't born here, nor wear the leaf emblem, so you're not a Genin. You have no family in here you could visit, and honestly, too young to be travelling alone all the time. You always appear out of nowhere and you go away without telling anyone... People wonder about you."

Her smile turned bitter. Santino told her about the older days, days in which a Wanderer could walk freely without earning mistrust. Wanderers where seen as icons of wisdom and respect, and were the people you turned to when you needed something. A shame that the wars caused the lack of trust between villages, and that power-hungry people hunted down every Wanderer around, to learn their secrets and hidden techniques. The remaining ones made an excellent job on keep their heads low. Truly a shame this fate of Wanderers.

Cheshire blinked, and realised she had been quiet for two or three minutes, and was receiving curious glances.

"So?" One of the ninjas- not the one that had held her- asked her.

"I'm here to learn, and listen, and see; and perhaps to make a friend or two, if I'm lucky enough." She answered truthfully, because she never _lied_.

"That sounds... incredibly suspicious. To enter a Hidden Village stating your business there is to listen and see..."

"What? It makes me sound like some weird kind of child prodigy with an evil ego complex who's trying to take over the world? Or perhaps a silly little puppet that's hunting for information for someone else; and that's why the mastermind would choose a young kid to pass innocently while in fact she's nothing more than a tool to spy?" She spat those words sarcastically, coldly.

Both men narrowed their eyes. She looked everything but an innocent child; she had haunting eyes and a sardonic grin. And she carried a sword on her hip.

"That's exactly my point; that _could_ be the case..."

The one who had stopped her- he had spiky wild hair- looked at his partner.

"Come on, Izumo, you really think she's a spy? I was just curious, that's all. But she doesn't seem threatening at all."

"Kotetsu, she _could_ be. All this could be a trap. I'm just doing my work here, I'm protecting Konohagakure; and you should too."

Ah, what a great chance that would have been to vanish away, if she could have. But she couldn't, so she didn't. She was too tired now, so she supposed she would have to keep a cool head and use her silver tongue to get out of this. But she was tired to run around words too, she just wanted to lie at some place and rest for a while. Tired, _so tired_...

"...Anyway, I'm just saying she'll have to stay here until we inform the Hokage..." Izumo was saying.

She'll _have_ to stay?

Oh, no. No, no, no, no. NO. Cheshire would not allow anyone to tell her when she could leave and when she couldn't. No. She was wild and free, not a domesticated little puppy. Stupid man, what a _fool_, wanting to tell Malchance she wasn't allowed to go away? To tell _Malchance_ of all people? No. She wouldn't, she couldn't...

"She's harmless."

What? Since when had been Kakashi standing there beside her? Had she been to consumed by her thoughts that her senses failed and she didn't felt his approach? Silly Cheshire, be more aware of your surroundings next time.

Cheshire blinked. She _wasn't_ harmless. And he knew that.

"Huh? Kakashi, are you sure?" Spiky haired- Kotetsu- asked him.

"Yes, I'm sure. I know her, she's not dangerous. Definitely not a spy."

But Cheshire _was_ dangerous. And he knew that.

"I wouldn't call 'harmless' someone who carries a katana around..." Izumo answered, still doubtful.

"She's a child; wouldn't you give her something to defend herself while she travels alone?" The white haired man replied good-naturedly.

"But that's precisely the point. I _wouldn't_ let a kid to wander all alone." Izumo looked at her one more time, but said nothing more, and walked out the way.

Kotetsu followed him with a nonchalant shrug.

Cheshire looked up at Kakashi and smiled him a thanks. He motioned her to follow him.

"Ah, my friend, you were right on time. Which is ironic, considering your students complain quite a lot that you're usually late; but it's the second time already you show up right on time for me? Watch out, it could become a habit." Her voice was light, but the meaning of her words much heavier.

Kakashi ruffled her hair with affection.

"You should act more your age, Chesh. You shouldn't go around raising suspicions from everyone." He advised her.

"You and I both know that I should do many things I won't do."

The man sighed.

"Listen... where have you been?" He asked her.

"Oh, you know, here and there, nowhere in particular." She shrugged the topic off nonchalantly.

"No, Cheshire. Listen to me. _Where have you been_?" He marked every word, so that she understood the meaning.

And oh dear God but she understood. And she stopped short in her tracks, looking down and worrying her lip. But she knew this would happen eventually, it was her who decided to leave years ago. Now she was just paying the price. Because Cheshire couldn't lie, and couldn't deny answers to him; she owed him too much to be that selfish.

"Let us... Let us go eat something, yes? If I'm to tell, then I should sit."

He nodded, and both walked in silence towards the nearest food stall. Cheshire ordered 'whatever you think it'll surprise me the most' and sat down, with her hands clasped, resting on the table. Kakashi ordered but the girl wasn't paying attention to him, instead was trying to make a summary of the two years she had left.

Soon enough, their food arrived, and Cheshire smiled in delight when she looked at the simplest ramen in front of her. Indeed she had been expecting something more elegant, more expensive, or with unusual flavours. This surprised her at a new level.

Her delight didn't last for a long time though, when she looked across the table an into the eyes- _eye_- of the white haired man. He was expecting an answer.

Oh, well...

"I've been in the past. I turned back and unmade my way, but almost too much and I had to start again. Then I cried. A lot. Because of all the things that were once there and now they're not, because of all the things that now they're here and used to be missing. And I was comforted. Sort of, at least. I gained a sword and visited a tomb. I got tangled with my own thoughts. I looked for a new path, but at the end all the branches meet in the trunk, so I returned to where I started, and I sat, and thought, and mourned. I stole the best of hugs, and disappointed some hearts. I made plans to stay, but ending up going anyway, because I heard a name that wasn't quite mine, and I got scared. I've been searching since then, as usual, for the name of things that went long ago missing. And then I came here."

He simply nodded.

Oh, Cheshire was grateful, oh so grateful.

Inside her wild, chaotic mind, there were wild, chaotic thoughts. So people more often than not thought she spoke nonsense, just because she could. But everything she said had sense, it was only that people needed to cock their heads and turn the picture around to find the meaning, hidden in plain sight. Fortunately Kakashi had demonstrated once that he was able to do so, and if you understood once, then you'll always understand.

And Cheshire was thanked the Heavens for knowing someone like him.

* * *

"So, you're a Genin now? Congratulations Naruto!" The short girl said with a grin.

"Yeah! It's an amazing story, wanna hear it?" He walked with his arms behind his head.

"Sure, you know very well that I'm fond of stories of any kind, though I'm fonder of the ones with dragons. I don't suspect yours has a dragon on it, has it?" She commented casually.

"Umm no, it doesn't" He was confused.

"Ah, what a shame... Oh, well, I suppose that even without the dragons it can be an excellent story anyway... so go on, fill me with the details of your epic tale."

"You're weird Chesh, you know that?" He looked at her, his eyebrows knotted "But in a good way, most of times."

Cheshire grinned. Naruto shivered.

What was it with her and that smile that made him uneasy?

He would have asked, but they were interrupted by an approaching Sakura who called at them.

"Hey, wait! You were Cheshire, right?" She said slightly out of breath. Had she been running all the way?

"They say I am. Why? Can I do something for you?" And Chesh made an elegant half-bow, tipping an imaginary hat.

"The Hokage wants to see you in his office." Sakura said.

* * *

What? That they wanted her to _what?_ But, but..._why?_

She blinked a few times trying to process the information. Then she looked around herself. The office was a nice place, big and elegant, and the Hokage had a nice strong writing desk. She would have loved to have a writing desk so huge and strong.

There were people around her, on both sides of the Hokage. All of them Jonin of Konohagakure, and she took her time to look at every face. A beautiful, _beautiful_ woman with striking red eyes and wild black hair; next to her, a man with a cigarette hanging from his lips, then, a man with shiny, shiny, _oh-so-amazingly-shiny_ black hair, and next to him, Kakashi stood casually.

"You seem lost, Cheshire. Is anything wrong?" The Hokage asked her solemnly.

Of course there were many wrong things. Didn't he know that already? There were kittens soaked in the rain and wolves that died of starvation. There were people who didn't appreciate rain, and a kid being bullied somewhere. What a general question for him to ask, something wrong, something wrong... _loads_ of wrong things in the world.

"What's your name?" Cheshire suddenly said, looking at the old man straight in the eye.

"Excuse me?" He blinked at her.

"Name. Your name. You must have one, don't you? Every living creature has got a name. And so many not living things have it too. So, I'm asking for a name to refer to you." She simply explained.

"Well, you can just call me Hokag-"

"No. I don't like referring to people by titles. That's stupid and impolite towards the parents who had to think a name for a baby. You might be the Hokage, but you're something else, aren't you? You're a person besides being a leader. So with that in mind, please tell me a name; it doesn't need to be your real name, just a name for me to associate with your face" She looked around and saw many disbelieving looks "sir" She added, unsure.

Because she never meant to disrespect him, she just spoke her mind. The Hokage looked at her from head to toe. He seemed at a loss of words for a few seconds before he broke his serious face with a smile; a smile Cheshire mirrored instantly.

"Very well then, if you want to know, my name is Hiruzen Sarutobi." He answered her.

The girl said his name aloud. One time, two, three times she rolled his name in her tongue, with different intonations, while she giggled in delight; she nodded and seemed to approve the name.

"Hiruzen. It's a strong name, I like it. Now I know your name, and things are significantly easier, thanks." She bowed theatrically. "But you must forgive me, I still have another question. Why do you want me to wear the Leaf Village's headband?"

"Well, you're a stranger, you know that. And some people tend to feel that they can't lower their wards around you. Personally, I don't want the matter to become worse, or I'd be obliged to ban you the entrance to Konohagakure. I don't know you, but Kakashi here said you can be trusted, and that you're not the kind of person with ill intentions; I figured out that if you wear the headband as a display of loyalty, people would feel more at ease around you." He explained to her.

"Ah, I see. Let me congratulate you... sir; that was a very smart resolve. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to wear it. You see, my loyalties are not attached to places, but to people, and individuals. If I wear that, you're asking me to promise to be always loyal to a certain Village, even after you, or everybody I appreciate here, died. I don't know if I can afford such a compromise, I'd like to stay as neutral and free as I could." She looked down and thought a few minutes "But I don't want to become a problem to you neither, since I _will_ continue to come around... Can I have a second opinion? It'll only be a couple of minutes, I promise."

The Hokage looked confused, just as most of the people in the room. Cheshire didn't wait for an answer; instead she took her thumb to her mouth, and bit hard enough to draw some blood. Then she put her hand on the floor, and with a _poof_ and white smoke, a big brown bear appeared in front of her. The animal had the size of a big horse and looked gravely at the people in the room, one by one, surveying all of them. When he looked at the ninja with half his face covered, the bear nodded his head in signal of greeting. Then he turned to Cheshire.

"Yes Cub? Is there something this old father bear can help you with?" He said with a gravel-like voice.

The girl filled him with the details immediately, and when she finished, the animal instantly turned to the Hokage, agitated.

"You can't ask her that. You _can't_ ask her to renounce to her freedom just because humans fear what's different to them. You _can't_ ask her to swear loyalty to a place she barely knows, with people who might want to sell her, given the chance. You _can't_ so you _won't._ No. NO!" He roared.

Cheshire just looked at him, and caressing lovingly his fur she hummed, trying to ignore the whispers and fidgeting around her.

"Now, now, papa bear. Don't be like that. I know you care about me, and that you're worried, but it's not their fault. You know what? I'll do it, I'll wear the headband, Okku, if that means so much to them" She said.

"I hope you're sure of what you're doing, Cub."

"Don't you know already, Okku? I am _never_ sure of what I'm doing" She grinned at him.

Then she walked up to the desk, took the headband, and tied it around her hip, covering the leather strap she used to keep her katana in place. Then she bowed again, said a polite goodbye and exited the room.

Okku looked at the people in the room.

"Listen, humans, because I'll say it once. She's just promised loyalty. She _can't_ break her promises, so loyal she will remain. I hope you understand what you just made her agree."

And he followed his mistress outside.

* * *

**So... yeah that's it for now. I hope you liked it. Review? :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm trying to decide if I should stick completely to the main cannon plot, or if I should do some minor twists to it...**

* * *

Cheshire observed the offensive item in the palm of her hand. _Ack_. Shiny, reflecting the light, with a black sash underneath. She felt sick when she thought of the lack of patience people had; perhaps if they had waited some years, she would have been the one to request the headband; just the same way she wore a tattoo on her shoulder blade. But they just _had_ to rush the process, and now she didn't looked at the headband as a symbol of loyalty, instead, she was reminded of chains.

And Cheshire did _not _like chains.

She grunted and hid her head into her arms, feeling miserable. She soon picked up the 'clicky' sound of the waitress heels, and she slightly raised her head, the girl's nostrils flaring at the smell of the dessert she ordered. Ah, white chocolate-cherry mousse pie. That's why she enjoyed this little inn in the southwest, because of this dessert and because of the company. She smiled feebly at the waitress- a woman in her mid-twenties, with dirty blonde hair and amber eyes- who raised her eyebrows quizzically at her. Then the woman looked around at the few customers- it was too early in the morning- and decided she could waste five to ten minutes. The blonde put the dessert in front of Cheshire, and sat down across her.

"Now, now, why the long face, Grinner?" She said in her honey coated voice.

Cheshire just showed her the headband she held in her hand. The woman raised even more her eyebrows, and whistled between her teeth.

"Yeah, Anika. Exactly." Cheshire hid her head in her arms once again.

"But isn't for you to wear that, I dunno, kind of _wrong_?" She said.

The waitress didn't know much about this girl, only that she appeared a year and a half ago at this inn, with a smile, and told her how prettier she'll look if she smiled more often. The woman took an instant liking to that girl, she made her usually dull work days more interesting, and she appreciated when she showed herself once a month, always ordering the same dessert, no matter the time of day. Slowly, she learnt some things about Cheshire-_Grinner_, because here she was called so- but only little snippets of memories, and that she liked to keep living without as ties as possible. Now she was here, with a headband from one of the Hidden Ninja Villages- who cared _which one_ exactly- and she looked pissed off.

"Aw, come on Grinner. Eat your dessert, sunshine, and we'll talk about it"

Cheshire looked at the woman. She had led a simply life without many complications or many expectations. She had a dull job with no adventures nor danger, she didn't flirted with death on a daily basis, and was married to a boring-looking man with a boring-looking job. She was the most average woman one could find, nothing special about her at all. Then why did Cheshire felt so at ease around her? Ah, but life has its mysteries...

Cheshire sat straight and started eating her dessert happily.

"So, what did you say this village was called?" Anika asked her, signalling the headband that now lied forgotten on the table.

"Konohagakure." The girl replied in between spoonfuls

"Ah, I don't think I can pronounce that. Where is it, anyway?"

Cheshire grabbed her satchel, and looked inside, shuffling between a considerable amount of maps.

She _loved_ maps.

When she found the one she was looking for, she presented it to Anika, signalling her the location of the village, and telling her how far from this small town it was.

"That's a long way" The waitress said. "Is it a nice place at least?"

"Yes... Yes I suppose it is. It's nice enough at least."

"So, all in all, is it really _that_ bad to go 'round sporting their symbol?"

Cheshire pondered this thought a couple of minutes. Well, it _was_ bad, but she couldn't tell Anika so, now could she? And perhaps she was right, it wasn't _that_ bad. It was a nice enough place after all. She looked at the headband, grabbded it, and tied it again around her hips.

"No, it's not _that_ bad. But should I had gotten another option, I wouldn't have chosen this." The girl replied.

"I know, sunshine. But I suppose that most of us would have chosen different things in our lives, given the option."

* * *

Another thing Naruto had discovered from his travelling friend was that she had an accent. He had no idea from where it could be, but he liked the way she overly accentuated the r's if you listened carefully. And he _did_ listen carefully, even if he usually got lost in the middle of their conversations; he certainly liked the sound of her voice. It was different, just like her, and for some reason her accent fitted her _just right_.

"_Hey, Chesh?"_

"_Yes Naruto, can I do something for you?"_

"_What's with the way your words sound?"_

"_...Can you be a little bit more specific, please?"_

"_You have an accent, I mean."_

"_Oh, yes I do. Is there a problem with that? I suppose I could try to make it disappear if it bothers your ears."_

"_No, no, I like it! I wanted to know where is it from; I never heard anything like that before."_

"_Oh. Very well, it's probably a mix up of different accents. I travel a lot, and I usually end picking up different accents."_

"_Are you sure it's just that? Isn't it from the place you were born?"_

"_...You should know by now that I'm never sure."_

So he paid even more attention when she talked, just to get familiar with that foreign accent of hers.

* * *

Cheshire was a curious girl; that was a truth that could not be denied. So when one day she saw the Jonin with shiny, shiny, _oh-so-shiny_ hair and a young boy with the same haircut running _really_ fast towards some place, while shouting something that sounded like 'the eternal flames of youth', she was naturally intrigued. So she did the best thing she could come up with, and followed them at a calmer pace, with a light skip every fifth step.

Eventually- following the cloud of dust that they had created- she arrived to a training area in the woods at the outskirts of Konoha, where the young one caught his breath while the older one gave him an encouraging speech about something, but Chesh wasn't listening, she was looking around to see what she could find. There were other two people in the place, one with stern look and his arms crossed over his chest, and the other one with her dark brown hair in a cute hairstyle, or so Cheshire thought.

She was about to step forward, but she was interrupted before she could do anything.

"Who are you?" Stern-looking boy said, without moving from his spot.

With all eyes turned to her, she finally advanced forward until she was in the centre of the clearing. Then she smiled her huge smile.

"Cheshire" She said "Or just Chesh; whatever you're most comfortable with."

"I know you" Said Man with Shiny Hair "You're that girl Kakashi is usually keeping an eye on. You were the other day at the Hokage's office, right?"

"Yes sir." She replied nodding her head, making a jiggling sound with the bells at her neck.

"So, I see my rival was jealous of the bond I keep with Lee and now he tries to find his own pupil to protect and pass his knowledge to, huh? Well, bad luck, Kakashi! You're too late, I've already won this!" And he stroke a pose, a hand at his hip, the other making thumbs up, and the _shiniest_ smile Cheshire had ever seen.

"Oh, I see." She looked slightly confused "But I am not Kakashi's pupil, he just happened to help me once, some time ago, when I was in truly need for help; now we're friends. And you must forgive me, but I didn't know you were rivals... At least he never mentioned so. What's your name anyway, if I'm allowed to ask?"

"I am Maito Gai!" His teeth shined again "Or better known as Konoha's Green Beast! And these are my students!" And he gestured towards the youngsters.

The mini-version of Shiny Haire- _Gai_, Cheshire corrected herself- copied his sensei's pose. She felt a good pure aura emanating from him.

"My name is Rock Lee!" He said "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cheshire!"

Oh. These people had energy for sure. The girl with the cute hairstyle sighed, and smiled at the shorter girl.

"Please forgive them, they're usually like that, full of energy..."

"IT'S THE POWER OF YOUT-"

"Don't interrupt me Lee. I'm Tenten, by the way." She said, slightly glaring at his teammate.

Cheshire then looked at Stern-Looking Boy expectantly and oh God, but he _was_ Stern-Looking. He looked-glared at her, still in silence; Cheshire just grinned, showing him a long row of white teeth.

"I suppose you have a name, don't you? Oh, please don't tell me that you're one of those unfortunate souls that roam this world nameless? That's a thing that I wish to no one, not even to my worst enemy." The girl said, with big, terrified eyes.

"I'm Neji Hyuga. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just curious. And now my curiosity is satisfied, for now, at least. So, if you haven't got any further queries, I shall go."

She started to get away, but something caught Tenten's eye, and she called after Cheshire. The girl turned around, cocking her head to the side in an unasked question.

"Cheshire, right?" The pink clad girl said "Is that your sword?" She questioned, motioning at the sheath at her hip.

"Why, yes it is. Why? Do you like swords, weapons, or just generally sharp objects?" Cheshire said brightly.

Tenten blinked at her.

"Well, to be honest I _do_ like weapons, and that seems like a fine sword... Might I see it?"

Chesh nodded, and untied the sword from her hip. She handed it to the other girl, so that she could inspect her by herself. Ah, Cheshire loved the way people's eyes gleamed when they were in presence of something they truly liked.

Tenten first inspected the sheath, black as night, with dragons in white gold encircling it. Then she withdrew the katana, and gasped. It was shiny and sharp, and perhaps a little bit too light; and in the middle of the blade, carved with thin, tall letters, stood out a word: _Mercy_.

"This looks really expensive" She commented.

"Honestly, what matters to me the most is the sentimental value. That, and the fact that is a loyal, nice sword, and has many stories behind it."

The brown-eyed girl sheathed the weapon again, and handed it to her owner, who looked at it with affection.

"Why 'Mercy'?" She asked.

"Because when you have an object that's capable of ending a life, that's what you should never forget; that there exists mercy." Came Cheshire's reply.

* * *

Oh, she was happy. Trembling with emotion actually, because she had heard from a good source- the wind and the rustle of the leaves, and perhaps she overheard a conversation or two from some foreign-looking man- that the Chunin exams would be coming soon. She was happy because she had never seen one of those exams, and because she could already imagine the fired up reaction Naruto was going to have when she told him.

She smiled at herself.

Ah, good Cheshire, good girl, she was going to make a friend happy, and that filled her with joy.

She walked down the streets of Konoha, looking for him, but all in vain. All morning she had been walking with no success, perhaps he was at some mission she had forgotten? Well, maybe. Or maybe it was just that Lady Luck wasn't in her side this day.

She sighed, and looked up, and saw a hawk flying high above her, describing circles. Oh, lucky him, a bird with feathers, a bird with wings, who could fly away and never look back.

Then she heard some voices ahead.

"Konohamaru!"

"Drop him down or I'll tear you apart!"

Some shuffling around.

"Ah!"

"Sasuke!"

What on Earth was going on? She hurried her pace until she could make out the scene. Some two unknown people- they looked older- Sakura, Naruto, three scared looking younger kids Cheshire remembered having seen around, and Sasuke sitting on a tree, looking oh-so-cool-and-strong.

It didn't take a genius to know put all the pieces together. She went even closer, but still kept her distance, since she was a Watcher. She saw a guy dressed in some kind of weird black costume take _something_ wrapped in bandages from his back, with a serious face.

"What? Are you going to use the _crow_ for _this_?" Said a girl with spiky blonde hair. Now _that_ was some hair.

Cheshire resolved to take some participation in the scene, merely out of curiosity. She was about to say something, but then time stilled. And a fraction of a second passed too slow for her, a fraction of a second in which she saw everything in slow motion, frame by frame. Her temperature dropped considerably, and she suppressed a shiver down her spine. Soon enough, she saw everybody looking at another branch of the tree Sasuke was sitting on.

"Kankuro, back off."

Ah, so that was the thing- person- who caused her body to react that way. She took advantage of the attention everybody was giving at the newcomer and slipped soundlessly into the back of the scene.

"You're an embarrassment to our village" Kept on saying that red haired upside-down boy.

My, my, that was harsh.

"Uhm... Ah... H-hey, Gaara." Black-costume dude said. Oh, and he looked nervous, _so nervous..._

Cheshire grinned, but only for a second.

She walked right until she was in front of the now nervous guy.

"Cheshire? What are you doing here?" She heard Naruto ask.

She did not answer. Instead she focused intently into staring hard at the person in front of her- Kankuro was it?

"And who are you? Another snotty brat from Konohagakure?" He said, even if still nervous.

"I'm Cheshire."

"_Cheshire?_ What kind of name is _that_?" He looked at her glaring daggers.

Ah, how long had she waited for someone to ask that? Long enough, she concluded.

"It is a name light enough to be carried by the wind. It's a name flexible enough to be twisted and turned and folded as many times you want; it's a tricky, insane name that belongs to a tricky, insane girl. It's a name that can mean many things, depending on the language and the intonation you put on it. It's a name that's both question and answer, and that's supposed to leave the trail of time behind. That's the kind of name it is." She said, for once losing all traces of a smile from her face.

He looked at her, confused. She just shrugged.

"You asked, I just answered." It was an honest reply.

Then she gazed at the red-haired boy in the tree.

"Hello there" She said "Your name is Gaara, isn't it? You look cold. And lonely."

He simply looked at her, perhaps wanting to stare her down into submission. But she just smiled at him, much softer than what she had done before. She wanted to get closer to him, but that was not a wise thing to do, and she knew that. He was looking at him- no, she was_ seeing_ him, and she saw that if she tried any sudden movement he might attack. Because he was as angry and cornered as a wolf cub that's been left alone too early, and for some reason she wasn't sure of, she was _curious_ about him. But she was not stupid, she recognised when she was in danger too...

"You look cold. And lonely" She repeated.

And she wasn't staring at him any longer, but she was looking at a small girl in a white dress, sitting alone and crying in a forest, because she was what she was and not what she should be, because she had hunters on her tail and the sun shined only at her back.

"...cold...and lonely..." She whispered.

And then she faded away, leaving no trail of her previous appearance.

* * *

**To be honest I'm not _completely_ convinced by that las scene, but I spent hours thinking about it and that was the idea I liked the most... So, opinions, anyone?**


	5. Chapter 5

**To be honest I enjoyed a little bit too much writing this chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

Where were you?

Why did you go away?

_How_ did you go away?

She had been enjoying of a nice evening with Okku, eating some apples and strawberries and singing old songs about sailing, when her meal was interrupted by three Genin. The blonde wanted to know where she had been, because it was what he always asked her about, the places she visited, the people she met. The girl with impossibly pink hair, asked her for the _why_ because she wanted to know the reasons behind the actions. She would be a very strong kunoichi, and a sensible woman too. The other one, the black haired boy asked her the _how_. Ah. Asking for how was usually good, because it was an evidence of good curiosity, of a willing to learn. Then why did Cheshire struggle to keep the grin on her face when she looked at this black haired boy?

_Where. Why. How._

She had been wandering three days in the desert, trying to get to _understand_, trying to _feel_... trying to not die because of the intense heat. Cheshire hated deserts. She belonged to the storytelling rain and the laughing wind, she enjoyed walking barefoot on fresh cold grass, and she liked to lie in a warm rock near a waterfall. But she did not liked to roam endless sand dunes without any hope of finding something more _alive_ than a few snakes and lizards. Cheshire hated deserts.

She looked at Naruto, still with half a strawberry on her lips.

"Oh, you know me. I've been just here and there, looking for a new old map to collect and perhaps for a new place to meditate by myself. I've been everywhere and nowhere at the same time, just chasing the wind around" She answered, devouring the other half of the strawberry.

It wasn't a lie, not _technically_, since she actually looked for a spot to meditate and a map written in the stars. But still she did not feel like she could easily tell these persons about where she really was and what was she doing there. Not until she _understood_, because it's from a fool to say things without understanding what was being said. Cheshire had patience, enough time to test it.

She grabbed an apple from the small blanket in front of her, and bit it.

In part, she had gone there out of curiosity, because curious, curious Cheshire had wanted to know just for the sake of knowing. In part, she had gone away to have plenty of time to think and trace an imaginary sketch of the footprints she needed to step on so not to fall too often. In part, she had escaped from there because she saw on _him_ traces of _her_, and she got scared and ran away. The same sadness hidden, the same madness eating the edge of his mind; probably for different reasons, she reasoned, but still she saw him as a distorted reflection of who she used to be... who she _still_ was, in some aspects.

She looked at Sakura, and took another bite from her red apple. She liked red fruits.

"I went away because I had to." Another bite to the apple, and said no more about the answer.

People always wanted to know how. How did she managed to vanish that simple way, without any sound, without leaving any mark that she was there before. They wanted to know how it was that she managed to fade away so fast, without any effort...

But she was making an effort. Mental, extenuating work, that usually left her feeling dizzy for some minutes afterwards. Not that she would ever admit it, for Cheshire had her reputation, of course.

She looked at Sasuke, and finished her apple.

"But you _know_ ninjas _can_ disappear like that, right?" She said another truth, not her truth, but a truth nevertheless.

"Yes, they can. But not that way. I have never seen anyone that _faded_ away like that, soundlessly and gradually." He told her, staring at her.

"Gradually?" She commented, stealing a look at her bear. "How so?"

Sasuke thought about it. He had been thinking about the way she had gone, and he remembered detail by detail, having the Sharingan was a great benefit, obviously.

"First your feet turned translucent, then your legs and thighs. Then, when your upper body started turning translucent too, your feet had disappeared already; like you were smoke diluting in the air. It was very fast, but it was a gradual process."

She grinned at him. Ah, it was certainly a good shot.

"To be honest, I don't know" She admitted "I had to taught myself that trick out of necessity, but I don't have an answer as for _how_ exactly I do it. I do accept theories, though." She smiled warmly.

The boy looked at her for a long time, trying to read her. Cheshire always thought of herself like an open book, but one that's either blank or written in a code; anybody could _look_ at it, but very few people got the meaning. So Sasuke grew irritated, '_tsk'ed,_ and crouched to look into her eyes at her same level.

"I want answers" He demanded.

"And I want many things. But we can't always get what we want, now can we?"

And he noticed that her eyes where a green so forest-like that he could make out grass and leaves and rocks, and saw riddles swirling into her iris and an unnamed name; and perhaps, and only perhaps, that starving looking wolf pacing left and right, left and right, without tearing its eyes off him, and he _felt_ a silent threat. To go away, to stop questioning things that should be left alone, to keep his nose out of her business, and the animal's yellow eyes were burning him, that yellow so real and so haunting; and he knew, he just knew than never in his life he was going to forget that image.

His lungs burnt, and he realised that he hadn't been breathing for a while. Taking a deep breath he closed her eyes, and stood up, his heart racing for some unknown reason.

"What kind of Genjutsu was that?" He said, not being able to open her eyes, because if he did, that beast was going to be in front of him.

"I'm didn't do anything, and I'm terrible awful at Genjutsu"

How could she sound so innocent after all that? Because her voice was as clear as a fresh and cold airstream, as and she sounded just so... _pure_...

And he hated it.

"Don't lie to me" He was angry.

"Sasuke... She didn't do anything, not one hand sign, and I didn't felt any change in her chakra..." Came Sakura's voice, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, what are you talking about? You finally lost your mind or something?" Naruto's voice was much lighter and carefree.

"Are you okay?" Sakura once again.

But even after he opened his eyes and saw nothing but the short girl sitting with her bear in front of him, the image of those yellow eyes was still tormenting him. He walked away without saying goodbye, not even to his teammates.

"Hey, wait!" The pink-haired girl cried after him. "I'll go with you!" And she sprinted after him.

Naruto looked slightly blue at the sight of the girl running after his teammate slash rival slash enemy, and murmured something that sounded incredibly like 'But... Sakura... aw, no fair...' before looking down at Cheshire.

"Hey, Chesh? What was that about? I have no idea what just happened." He commented casually.

She shrugged.

"I'm not sure. He wanted answers, I suppose he found some... but maybe they were not what he was expecting... But that's just my humble guess at any rate."

He just said 'Oh' and nodded, even if he had no idea what she had meant. Okku sighed, that's it, if bears can sigh.

"Humans are so blind sometimes... and they reek of _selfishness_. Most have no idea how to keep promises nowadays, I remember a time when someone giving you his word was more valuable than fifteen contracts. They don't want to listen or learn, honestly I have no idea how do you stand it, Cub." Said Okku.

"Maybe because I _am_ human, even if you tend to forget that, Old Father Bear?" Cheshire said while scratching his ears.

He just _hmmph_'ed and closed his eyes. Cheshire looked at Naruto, and she patted the spot next to her, motioning him to sit down.

"Come on my wonderful blonde friend, I think I never quite finished telling you the tale of the golden dog and the fountain, now did I?"

* * *

The remaining days passed by in a flash, and sooner than soon Cheshire found herself wondering Konoha well past midnight, the night before the Chunin exams. She liked the night, when life was drenched in slumber and less people was around.

She smiled to herself, and closed her eyes. She focused, and became connected to the world, breaking the lock and feeling her spirit tangling with the life around her. She saw the explosion of colours and sounds and smells and tastes everywhere, only that the everything was less intense and strong. She recognised the scent of earth and rain from a kitten's sleep, and the fast tumbling purple cloud of a flying bat somewhere above her. She followed the bat in his circles and spirals chasing some insects in the hunt for a meal, she felt his ecstasy when he caught a particularly big mosquito, and then his uncertainty when encountering a sudden not-so-hard wall that intercepted him in mid-flight. Because one too sharp turn and the purple cloud faltered and fell to the floor perplexed. The cloud shook, and then started to rise from the floor once again...

And then nothing.

Not a thing.

No purple cloud to fly around in a frantic search for its prey.

Cheshire suddenly remembered to breath, and she opened her eyes, and felt scared. After blinking a few times, she realised that in that state of interaction with nature she had somehow climbed the roof of a large house subconsciously, probably to get closer to the purple cloud that she was getting to know. And she looked at the centre of the roof, ten meters or so away from her, all sand and red and _coldness_, and what seemed to be the broken shape of a bat on the floor.

Ah. So that's what had caused such an unfair death.

The redhead was facing away from her, arms crossed over his chest, and sand slowly moving around him. Even if every single cell in her body was telling her to get _away_, she still walked forward, until she was in front of the dead animal. She kneeled on the floor and sighed.

"Such a poor unfortunate life that didn't deserved to die..." She mused, more to herself than to the boy ahead of her.

When she looked up again, she noticed the redhead had turned around and was staring at her; of course that he probably realised she was there a long time before she talked.

"What do you want?" He said aggressively.

Cheshire stood up from the roof, and looked at him with her head cocked to the side, as if expecting something. Then she retreated some steps in order to give him the space he needed.

"I want many things." She said "But I'm asking you none of them. I'm not asking a single thing from you." She said in a low tune, the same you would use to calm a raging animal.

"Then leave." He ordered.

She knew that would have probably been the wisest choice. She _should_ have left. Of course, she didn't. Instead she advanced once again, and took in her hands some of the sand that lied on the floor, surrounding the corpse of the bat. She clasped her hands together encaging the sand into them, all her movements smooth and slow, as if to avoid startling the boy in front of her.

"You know" She started saying, while focusing into heating up her palms "I wise man told me many things years ago..." The extremely high temperature didn't seemed to damage her skin, but then again, there was a certain type of fire that never did "...And the thing I remember the most was that it doesn't matter what we've been given in this life" She felt the sand melting into her palms, and used her fingers to shape it the way she wanted "What define us is what we _choose_ to do with what we've been given"

And instead of sand, she was holding a tiny flower made of glass, tainted with some red splotches.

"I think this is beautiful" She said "But perhaps it would be prettier without all these blood stains...?"

Ah. She went one step too far, and she knew it beforehand. Silly Cheshire, silly girl.

Sand surrounded her, encaging her, _chaining_ her, and lifted her from the floor. She found herself in a prison made of sand, being unable to reach ground, and a few inches away from the coldest blue eyes she had ever seen. The sand was at her neck and scraping her legs and making some light pressure at her chest.

"Gaara..." She said, with the softest of voices.

She looked into his eyes, and found nothing but a cold, hard, mirror. Still, it was easy to see madness clinging around the edges. She shivered, and tried to slow down her racing heart. But Cheshire was resolved to take this to the limit, and with the strength of a woman that has nothing to lose, she painfully, slowly, raised her hand, and she ghosted the flower against his cheek.

She felt herself unable to breathe, the pressure at her neck and chest was too much, her pulse was pounding into her ears, and soon enough she felt a distinct '_crack'_ from inside her. Even though, with a smile on her lips and the last of her breath, she managed to say in no more than a whisper

"This is a gift. Keep it."

And ethereal Cheshire faded away, leaving her flower behind.

* * *

It was raining heavily and her head hurt but she didn't mind. She was inside of a dusty cabin in some mountain near the south. She quickly assessed the damages in between deep breaths; some scraped skin and two fractured ribs.

She let a large grin take over her mouth, because there, at the end, she had seen a small, almost imperceptible teeny tiny crack appear into those cold mirrors that were his eyes; and into that crack, a dark pit with monsters lurking around a terrified little redhead boy.

Her smile grew even bigger.

Now, she finally _understood_.

* * *

**And that's it for now, I hope you liked it :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**New chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

Breathe, in, out; focus.

She hadn't been able to get any sleep, her mind wide awake all night wondering and thinking and remembering and smiling. Because her mind never stopped working, at least not while she was awake in some sense. So over the years she had learnt the habit of long hours of meditation, to calm herself down and to improve her discipline; Cheshire was wild, but was taught since a tender age to value good discipline.

Breathe, in, out; focus.

It was through meditation that she found the answers to many problems, that she was able to deal with a great amount of pain, weather physical or emotional, and it was through meditation that she reached a state in which her senses sharpened and the full extent of her combat abilities was brought out.

Breathe.

In.

Out.

Focus.

PAIN!

Cheshire lost concentration and said a long line of profanities a girl her age shouldn't know. She opened her eyes and slowly rubbed the left side of her ribs, trying, with no avail, to ease the sharp pain. She groaned in an unlady-like way, her lips curving in a snarl.

"You really should see a doctor, Child" Said the brown bear next to her.

Cheshire swatted her hand to indicate her disregard of the matter.

"'M'fine, Okku, stop being so sickly worried about me. My ribs weren't fully broken, just cracked a bit; they'll heal in a couple of weeks or so..."

"They _would_ heal maybe, but that _would_ require for you to lie still instead of jumping around from place to place. An injury like that could compromise your vital organs, what if it punctures a lung or-?"

"Then I would suffer from pneumothorax, in other words, my lung would collapse due to an increase in the pressure, and it would most likely compress my heart and all those important blood vessels" She said, with a serious face "And then I'd die. Painfully."

The animal looked at her, looking impressed, or at least he would have, that's it, if bears could. Cheshire looked at him, and blushed embarrassed.

"Iknow the _theory_ well enough; it's at the actual _practice_ of any medical jutsu that I'm pathetic. But I like knowing things, I mean... the least I could do was learn the possible consequences of different wounds that me- or you, by the way- could acquire... at least I can make an accurate diagnosis. Sort of. Or something more like a guess."

Okku smiled a fatherly smile, and chuckled at the girl's antics.

"Still, knowing what's wrong with you doesn't automatically makes it better. You still should go and see an _actual_ medical ninja, just in case..." He said.

"Oh, you know I don't like doctors. Besides I'm not _that_ bad, I'm actually pretty-"

PAIN.

Cheshire doubled over herself, embracing herself with her own arms. It was a tolerable amount of pain... except when she stretched, or turned too fast, or jumped. And that was a problem, because even if she liked peace and calmness, she could not stop moving, running, escaping; because that meant that things would catch up with her and she would fall as a prey and that could _not_ happen.

But doctors... Cheshire did _not_ like doctors.

Doctors were curious, too curious; they liked to open and see and touch and feel like gods, they liked to change you, _fix you_, even when you were _not _broken, because if it's different it's _bad_, and if they didn't understood then they would _cut_, and _search_ and _tie you up_ until they understood _why_ were you so different, and if they didn't... If they didn't...

No.

Cheshire did _not_ like doctors.

Understanding it's not reached by force, but only with patience and time and humility. Understanding meant _taming_. And doctors did _not_ know how to tame.

Cheshire looked at the sun rising and considered that she had been thinking long enough. Time to go, or she would be late, and being late meant less time to wait and observe.

* * *

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle._

She had eaten a frugal breakfast, with her head far away from the task at hand. She had been pondering long and hard about the different possible skills these exams would test; one of them being mounting up a circus and determining who had the most interesting act.

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle._

Then, after bandaging her ribs- which meant slower recovery but they wouldn't hurt that much- she had returned to Konohagakure with high hopes and a huge grin.

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle._

Oh, sweet merciful God, but these people were _loud. _Cheshire smiled from her spot at the windowsill, and smirked upon hearing the verbal fight between the nine youngest-looking people in the room. Naruto seemed all confidence and expectative, while the rest of them... well, being cautious was not a sin.

She gazed at them all, dedicating special time to inspect the six people she did not know, all seeming different from each other as oil is from water. There was a blonde girl who liked to fight, a bored-looking boy with an earring, then one eating chips- not a very healthy habit according to Cheshire's books. Then there was a boy with sunglasses who seemed _distant_, and a quiet girl with short hair, and a boy with a dog on his head. She liked the last boy instantly, and her grin broadened.

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle._

Then an older guy came, with glasses and grey hair, and told them to keep it down. Ah, wise, given the fact that every person in the room was looking at them- and not in the friendliest way, mind you.

Cheshire lost interest in what they were saying, and allowed her eyes to roam through the room, to see what she could find. People, people, and more people- fortunately none of them paying attention to her- that looked feral and willing to rip each other's eyes out. What a colourful bunch. She recognised Tenten, Lee and Neji among them, but then again, it was hard for her to forget someone as Rock Lee. Too... too 'remembable', even if that was not an actual word.

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle._

She recognised Kankuro, and Gaara, and the blonde girl that was with them in the middle of the crowd. The redhead looked at her, and she held his stare, smiling, and almost subconsciously grazed her damaged ribs with the tip of her fingers. He turned his look back towards the centre of attention, something had happened, Cheshire noticed.

The dude with grey hair and- now broken- glasses was kneeling on the floor with some people in front of him, the all had a music note on their headbands, and looked pissed off.

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle._

"And here I thought I was harsh, but isn't against the rules or something to attack like that?" The words escaped her mouth before she could stop them.

Silly, silly Cheshire.

Everybody was looking at the girl in a white dress, looking casual while sitting on the windowsill, and playing with some little sleigh bells she was holding in her hand.

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle_

The music that sounded like raindrops falling on a metal roof kept on going.

"That was just my humble guess, at least. And if it's not against the rules then it certainly is both unnecessary and rude. Being rude towards people it's _not _nice." She said, still playing with the bells.

"Stay out of this, whoever you are" Said, _ordered_ a boy with camouflaged pants and spiky hair, and a bad attitude.

"Cheshire" She clarified.

"Huh?" He said.

"My name is Cheshire. It's a lot easier if you know the name of the person you're talking to, don't you think? But don't mind me, I'm just rambling. My Father Bear would be upset if he listened to me ramble."

_Jiggle. Jiggle. Jiggle._

"Hey Chesh! Are you presenting for the Chuning exams too?!" Naruto said, enthusiastically.

She winked at him and tied her bells around her slender neck once again.

"Nay, my energetic friend; remember I'm not _technically_ a ninja, I never trained at the academy, so I can't _officially_ have a rank. I was trained as one, among many other things, but it was under private tutelage and without being affiliated to any Hidden Village." She clarified patiently.

"Oh, right..." He said.

A man with a very scarred face entered the room, with an aura of authority emanating from him. He explained that the first part of the exams was going to start, and that they were going to receive a number to determine their seats; then, the written portion of the exams should begin.

A written part? That _should_ be interesting, but it could take time and she was feeling uncomfortable in her position. So she smiled once again at her panicking friend, and vanished outside to wait for the results.

It might take time, but Cheshire was patient.

* * *

So the written part of the test was only a decoy of sorts? It was all designed for the Genin to find themselves with no honest or safe path to travel by, and so that they would have to make another way to pass the test? And at the end a question that was to test their willpower and teamwork?

Oh. That had been sneaky and twisted. Cheshire loved it.

She grinned at Naruto while he continued with the tale of how he admirably and outstandingly had deciphered all the test, and at the end he had given an encouraging speech that motivated all the remaining Genin in the room to continue with the tenth question despite of the proctor's-fake- warnings.

Cheshire smiled warmly. Knowing the blonde, he probably hadn't answered any question whatsoever, nor seen through the façade of the tortuous test. Cheshire had a good pair of ears, and she had heard the story before he had told her. She was glad the last part of his epic tale was true though, because that showed his pure, good heart. And those were the kind of hearts that were needed right then.

"Hey, Chesh, why are you walking so weird?" He suddenly said, making her snap out of her thoughts.

"Ah, but I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, I doubt my definition of 'weird' coincides with yours." She said, but kept on walking with her head up.

He blinked at her and carefully studied the girl walking beside him.

"You're walking lopsided." He stated.

Cheshire grinned that grin that gave him shivers, and giggled. Ah, but since when did he observed his surroundings that much? Perhaps, and only perhaps, he was starting to learn.

"I hadn't realise you paid so much attention to the way I walk, Naruto, you'll make me blush" Her tone was cheerful.

But he always paid attention to her, even if it mostly was subconsciously. Because she escaped every definition of 'normal' he knew, and he had learnt that all it took to make her run away was one single wrong word. She had always been so _nice_ to him, and he was afraid that one little mistake could make her feel cornered and go away forever, and that was certainly the least thing he wanted.

"H-hey it's not that I actually, you know, look at you or anything, it's just that... I mean... I mean you're walking strange. Are you okay?" Ah, people were so fun when they were nervous.

Cheshire swallowed a strangled groan, her ribs were throbbing.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just was too stupid at something I was doing and now I'm a little bit sore, but that's about it." She smiled.

* * *

The Forty-Fourth Training Ground. The Forest of Death.

Cheshire smirked.

The Genin had to spend a total of five days into this area, and they were given one scroll, either the Scroll of Earth or the Scroll of Heaven. While tying to survive the forest's own dangers, they had to obtain from a rival team the scroll they were lacking, and take it to the tower in the centre of the training ground.

Her smirk grew bigger.

So they were forced to battle between squads, to test their own surviving skills and the way they worked as a team. It was a complete test, and a rather difficult to pass. Ah, these proctors were very smart, and Cheshire lamented she wasn't taking a direct part of the Chunin exams. Such a shame, they seemed so _fun_.

She ignored the speech the spirited woman- Anko _something_- was giving to the Genin, and focused her attention to the forest in front of her: dark, with shadows lurking around and potential danger around every corner.

She had practically grown up in a forest, a forest with high trees and smooth rocks.

That same forest had condemned her.

In another one she found healing and solace.

Forests had always played an important role on her life, either good or bad, but they had influenced her in many, many ways.

She licked her lips, as an animal in front of a particularly delightful meal.

Yes, perhaps it was the time for her to take a more _direct_ participation on these exams, weather she was allowed to or not.

* * *

**This was more of a transition chapter of sorts, the next few chapters are going to be where the action happens ;) **


	7. Chapter 7

**New chapter! If you could describe my dear Chesh in one or two words, what would those be?**

* * *

"_Can I ask you a question, sensei?" Said a little girl to a bearded man._

"_You might ask all you want, but remember that sometimes the questions are even more important than the answers. What it is, Aisha?" He said in his always loving voice._

"_Why do you do that? Why do you call me so?"_

"_Aisha means 'life'; that seems quite appropriate for you, don't you think?"_

_The girl made a face and worried her lower lip._

"_I don't think I like it. Not completely." She honestly said._

"_You don't? How so?"_

_She sat down on the grass and sighed. Did she dare to confess him the truth? The fears and demons that haunted her at night? _

"_It sounds like an important name, like the name of a gallivant knight who's supposed to be a shield for the weak, it sounds like someone who's supposed to right every wrong in the world. It's... pretty, but I don't think I can be that knight." She said, with her eyebrows twisted in a knot._

_Her teacher chuckled at her, and patted her hair. _

"_You don't have to be that. I call you Aisha because it means 'life' and life is good but it doesn't pick sides. Nobody is asking you to go ahead and fight for the weak, so don't worry about that."_

"_But that makes me sound selfish. I still want to do something good, like you do!"_

"_Oh? And what do you think I do?"_

_She shrugged._

"_You're nice, and you protect this forest; you never get involved in any political affair or anything like that. You're strong, but you don't go around abusing of your power, and you give good advice. I don't know, you're _good_."_

_The man laughed a good-natured laugh, and sat on the floor in front of her._

"_You make me sound as if I'm invincible, kid. I'm not, and I've committed many sins in my life. But fair enough, do you want me to tell you what you should do to do the things I do?"_

_The little girl nodded enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming and her smile broadening. He put both his hands on her shoulders, and looked into the depths of her soul._

"_Very well then. You shall help keep something people forgot long ago; you shall help maintain the natural balance of this world we live in. Don't pick unnecessary fights, but don't either go on trying to defend the little rabbit a boa is about to devour it. If the snake kills the rabbit, so be it, because it will only do due to necessity and not out of cruelty. Explore every path undiscovered, and make sure you remember every story you hear. Listen more often than talk, and don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Always try to reach a peaceful solution, unless your kin or friends are being threatened, or if someone wants to unsettle the balance for personal profit. Never meddle in between politics, and swear no loyalty towards any lord, unless we're talking about the one who created us and this beautiful world. Be always polite but don't let anybody bend your spirit, for you were born to remain wild and free, unless you find your heart wants to be tamed. Don't deny any favours to those who need them, or any lessons to those who are truly willing to learn. Forgive every offence you receive and always keep your bond with nature; don't seek for revenge or for justice, and don't listen to deals offered by Demons. Be strong and wise and gentle, and remember that even if there's a clear difference between right and wrong, the world it's not only either black or white. Never be afraid of death, because there's no evil in dying, it's just a part of the cycle of life; when death knocks on your door, greet him like an old friend and walk in peace next to him. Stand tall like a tree, but keep flexible as grass; be proud as a wolf yet humble like a sheep. If you choose this path, keep in mind that more often than not you'll find yourself lonely, because it's not an easy task being the bridge that unifies, the judge that sentences, nor the scale that measures."_

_She made sure she remembered by heart every word he had said._

* * *

There was _something_ wrong with this forest. She had been in dark forests before, in dangerous too, but this one... this lacked _life_. She grabbed some earth from the ground and sniffed it, making a grimace. Then she let it slowly fall down once again.

This was not right.

She touched the nearest tree. She licked on a leaf. No, definitely _not right_. Usually trees would be vibrating with life, leaves would be humming their stories to the wind, and earth would be beating with the latent symphony of the hidden life underneath it. But here... It was all dead. This forest was so asleep that Cheshire feared nothing would be able to wake it up from its slumber. And a sleeping forest was _bad_ for the world.

She closed her eyes and focused on listening with her sharp ears. Something was there, reverberating even in the thick silence; an unspoken menace, a soundless declaration. She heard the silent drums of war that pulsed through the air, the unmistakeable tugging of the changing tide that was starting to slowly arise. Something was on the move. Something bigger than ninja teams trying to beat every rival to a bleeding pulp in order to escalate through ranks.

Cheshire asked the wind to tell her a secret, and as the close friend it was, it complied bringing an accusation to her ears. Someone was being naughty; someone was tampering with things that were supposed to be left alone, someone in this sorry excuse for a forest. All traces of grin fell off Cheshire's face, along with her very own name.

Malchance was pissed off. She was the harsh truth and unshakable judge, and she _would not _tolerate foolish people playing around with things that should not be played with.

Heads would fall.

* * *

_Fear for the smile and the wolfish eyes,_

_Fear for the blood in her unstained hands;_

_Fear for the time when the fire starts,_

_Fear for the verdict that she'll soon provide._

* * *

She waltzed through the forest ethereal as air, with one hand holding the hilt of her sword. Oh, most definitely heads would fall, that's it, if she was lucky and it only depended on her. Because she was no stupid, she knew that there were an infinite number of things that could go wrong, that could compromise her purpose. She climbed up the highest branches of a tree, and kept on advancing from that height.

* * *

_Fear more for the time when her grin is absent,_

_And more when she shows the mark of the hopeless;_

_She knows you, she sees you, don't try to run,_

_Or Malchance of the Fallen will sooner arrive. _

* * *

Cheshire sighed, looking almost sad. She hated when people thought that much of themselves, she did not like to be this way, but somebody had to keep some sort of order. She bit her lip and became Malchance once again. The girl looked down from above, observing everything, looking at the ninjas below her running and jumping and fighting around. Such a shame to be trained to fight like this, to be taught to _steal _information instead of sharing it, to put such walls in between different Hidden Villages instead of making them realise that they were all human and teach them to live at peace. But people always seek to control and to have the upper hand, because they were too afraid of losing, too afraid of dying, too afraid of things they couldn't control.

* * *

_You might ask what you need, but be free of greed,_

_For she hates that humanity fell through that pit;_

_Win her good grace and you'll find an ally,_

_Loose her respect and you won't be alive._

* * *

No, no, silly Cheshire, don't be so bitter, silly girl. Truth is truth and it can't be changed, but there was still some good in the world. Weather it was on the gentle eyes of a waitress that made time to talk to a weird girl, or in the high hopes of a blonde boy with an unbreakable spirit. There was still good in the helping hand of a man with most of his face covered by a mask, and on the rightfulness of a guy with a dark green suit. Cheshire regained her smile. Malchance reminded her that there was still a job to do.

Off with their heads.

* * *

She was resting in a branch, her back against the trunk. Oh, she should have kept on looking, but that pretty butterfly caught her attention, with its reds and blues and yellows. Such a fragile little thing, yet it had enough strength to flap its wings and fly away...

Cheshire heard a _thump¸_ and ragged breathing. The girl looked down, mildly interested, and discovered Sasuke and Sakura ten meters below or so, looking tired and scared. Wait; was that blood in Sasuke's leg? Why were they alone, where was Naruto? But even more important, why did he looked so _terrified_, it wasn't like him, Cheshire knew that. Suddenly a giant snake appeared and bit on the branch the ninjas were kneeling on, luckily both had amazing reflexes, and got away fast enough. The reptilian went after the black haired boy, and he threw some shuriken into the animal's mouth, stopping it in mid-hunt and making it fall down. The girl looking from above smiled; he certainly knew how to fight.

But... what? Cheshire blinked.

Some skin in the snake's corpse was cracking, and from the inside- covered in sticky- looking fluid- appeared a woman with long hair and who smelled like death. Cheshire scrunched her nose- the smell was terrible, it was _hollow_ and _thick_, and the girl felt the urge to throw up. Then, this snake-like woman stretched her inhumanly stretchy body and started to wrap herself around the trees- had she no bones?-, in a frantic hunt for the boy, but was stopped before long by different kinds of sharp weapons that dug in the wood right in front of her; and with some boasting, certain blonde made his appearance into the scene.

Ah, just in time.

But why was Sasuke telling him to go away? And why was he willing to give up their precious scroll in order to get away from this creepy lady? Cheshire cocked her head to the side, but did nothing, it was not her fight and so she should only watch.

Ah, and now both male teammates were fighting- both verbally and physically- between themselves, with Naruto saying some speech about not giving up that easily and whatnot. And then the lady summoned another giant snake. Was the blonde _punching_ the snake? Since when had he developed such an amount of strength and stamina? And then the way he appeared in front of Sasuke when the animal was about to devour him...

No. This was _not_ normal.

Cheshire extended her chakra until it reached the blonde's and she found herself without words- an uncommon occurrence. It was more _feral_, _wilder_, and much, much more dangerous. She couldn't see from her height, but she was mostly certain his eyes were no more the soft blue she loved. The rustle on the leaves had told her before the true reason why some years ago the people from Konohagakure used to leave him aside, to be as far away from him as possible. But all of the sudden, to see the sleeping spirit inside of him wake up in the middle of the fight... Cheshire shivered. And she looked with more interest at the scene developing below, trying not to miss a single thing.

_Ew. _Just _ew._ The woman was holding him with her _tongue._

And she sealed once again what was inside him, so that it remained _inside._

Then he was falling, falling, falling... Cheshire resisted- not without effort- the urge of leap down to break his fall, because it was not on her duty to interfere with the exams; if the outcome was changed due to her actions, she would not be able to forgive herself. Fortunately, a kunai from Sakura nailed his clothes to a tree, avoiding his most certain doom and impeding the rest of his fall.

Now it was the turn of the pink-haired girl to scream a speech at Sasuke- Cheshire was detecting a pattern- and he reacted, finally leaping into action. The fight turned to be very fast, being a matter of life and death, with the black-haired boy putting all his might into defeating Snake Lady. She ended up tied to a tree, and he blew a great column of fire out of his mouth, bathing everything in orange and yellow light.

_Fire._

Cheshire grinned. She _loved_ fire, even if this fire was stupid and deprived of life, it was fire still. Ah, how happy and relieved seemed Sakura that the fight was finally over...

Except it _wasn't_.

Cheshire felt her body tense, and her temperature dropped quite a few degrees. A strangled sound escaped her lips, sounding very much like an angry cat. She was thankful nobody was paying attention to her. Snake Lady had a face underneath her face, much paler and reptilian than before; and her voice was different, or should Cheshire say _his_ voice? How confusing, how twisted, how...

How _wrong_.

After burning down the ninja's scroll, the she... _he... it_ stretched its neck, and _bit_ Sasuke.

And then time stilled, and a second passed too slow for Cheshire. Her palms were sweating and there was a pressure on her chest that had nothing to do with her injured ribs. How stupid, how stupid of Cheshire, how come she hadn't realised sooner? Because she _felt_ darkness spreading through the air, and the thread of life twisting and turning and _changing_, and it was just so _wrong._

Silly, blind Cheshire.

Malchance mentally slapped herself. She should have noticed sooner.

She asked a silent question to the wind, and it answered.

Somebody was being naughty and playing with things that it was best to leave alone.

That somebody melted into a tree, leaving an angry Malchance behind.

Impassive as a blank book, she descended towards the branch were the two remaining ninja were. Sakura was kneeling holding Sasuke's bent body, he was screaming, he was in _pain_.

Malchance _tsk'ed_. Such pain caused because of selfishness.

"Ch-Cheshire? What are you doing here?" Came Sakura's voice, trembling, with her eyes wide open.

"Looking" She answered, and said no more.

And indeed she was looking; she was looking at the agonising boy in front of him, his pain so strong that it was palpable, that she felt it burning under her skin.

Cheshire felt sorry.

Malchance felt compassion.

The girl with dark hair kneeled on the floor, and took Sasuke into her arms, caressing his hair with her fingers. She hummed a song about a warrior that returned home into his ear, and waited for his pain to subside, and allow his exhaustion to finally catch up to him. Sakura looked curiously at her, her own sobs slowly quieting down.

The pink-haired girl learnt something about this uncommon nomad that moment. Even in her insanity and in the twisted conversations she offered, her sole presence was _calming_. She _had_ seen Naruto acting slightly more tranquil around this girl, but to experience it first hand...

She felt like a small child taking comfort into her mother's lap.

She might have not known, but besides being Malchance, besides being Cheshire, se was Solace. And she liked to live up to her names.

Malchance snuggled her face into the boy's neck, taking in the scent that was left behind for that serpentine bastard. Then she stood up, leaving Sasuke on the ground, and turned around to leave.

"Wait!" She heard Sakura cry after her. "Are you just going to... go? You can't just leave!"

"Can't I? And may I ask why is that?" She was polite, but cold.

Sakura mumbled something under her breath.

"Speak up, girl. Didn't quite catch those last words." Malchance was good, but not tender.

"I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." She admitted, louder this time.

Cheshire cursed under her breath. Malchance knew that she was probably going to regret this later. It was not in her hands to decide their succeed or failure at this test, and she had tampered with the odds already.

On the other hand...

On the other hand that battle had nothing to do with the actual test, so maybe, just maybe, a little bit of her help wouldn't provoke much alteration. Cheshire sighed. Malchance groaned.

Without turning around- she couldn't bear to look at Sakura and her big doe eyes- she gave her a piece of advice.

"Nobody in this life knows what they're supposed to do. But I guess that's not what you're talking about. Just take care of his fever, and for Heaven's sake woman, take Naruto down from that tree. He needs to rest as well. That's what you can do now, that, and remain strong. I _can't_ do anything else for you, I _need_ to leave. I'm going to hunt."

* * *

Left and right. Left and right. Like the starving wolf hiding in her eyes.

"Are you lost, child?" His voice was slippery and cold, and made her want some sunshine.

"Yes. But that's another story. You shouldn't have done that. Given him that cursed seal, that is."

"Oh? And why?"

Left and right. Malchance could not stop pacing, prowling, _hunting_.

"Because it was _bad_. One shouldn't tamper with things like that. What's your name?"

The man cocked his head to the side, he was clearly not impressed with this child.

Left and right; left and right.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"I find it easier to speak to people when I have a name to put to their faces."

"Very well then, I'm Orochimaru, little girl. Who are you?"

"Many people. I am Cheshire and Malchance, Grinner, Solace and Mercy. I've been called Aisha and Silence. Pick the one you like the most."

He chuckled, and she hated that sound.

Left and right; left and right.

"You are certainly... different." He said "I don't know if brave, or really stupid to approach to me like that. I could kill you, don't you know?"

"I know that. I know that well enough. But it is in my _blood_ to warn you, nevertheless. You're trying to achieve things that are impossible for a reason. Stop it."

"Or what?"

Left and right; left and right. Malchance stopped abruptly, and performed the five hand signs she knew by heart. Soundlessly like her, in her right hand appeared fire, _white_ fire, caressing her skin but never burning it. The man looked at it, mildly curious, and discovered that there were different creatures lurking in the fire like they were _alive_.

"Do you really think you can defeat me with that little flame?" He mocked her.

"No. Besides I'm tired, and my ribs hurt. I couldn't stand five minutes against you, not now. But we won't fight now, because I don't want you, and because you probably have more important things to do than to quarrel with a silly girl like me. I just wanted to say that you should be careful with your stepping, one can never know where there might be a hole in the ground."

And after making the fire disappear, Malchance faded away.

* * *

Cheshire heart was racing fast and faster, what was she thinking, foolish girl? If he had decided to attack her...

But still she couldn't go against her nature. Even if she was at an obvious disadvantage and if she was still _locked_, she couldn't fight her own nature. She laughed bitterly at herself. One day she would kill herself with her stupidity, one of these days...

* * *

**Ah, silly Cheshire, stop defying your odds or you'll end up killed...And then I would have to put an end to this Fanfic, oh the agony!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8, in which some little snippets of Chesh's past are revealed, and she thinks about how much she likes __****Phengaris arion**. 

* * *

Heiwa. Heiwa. Her long soft brown wavy hair, her elegant long eyelashes, her hands; oh _her hands_... the soft hands with slender fingers that danced when she was stitching a dress the with confident slow rhythm of a woman that lived through much; her hands that caressed the head of a little girl to help her sleep at night so the nightmares wouldn't reach her, the same hands that braided sakura flowers into the little girl's long dark hair...

"_A woman is not properly so until she learns how to braid flowers into her hair" _She had told Cheshire once.

Heiwa, Heiwa...

Cheshire had always loved her so much, too much, because of her gentleness and kind heart. She had always been the most beautiful woman the girl had always known; the memory of her long dresses and sweet perfume, of her lingering motions, and her eyes... Those caramel eyes that always looked so _sad_ and distant...

"_Heiwa? How come you never got married? You're really pretty, I'm sure you have plenty of men chasing after you!"_ The little girl had said.

"_Because I'm a broken woman, I'm half a woman; I'm too used and have nothing else left to give, even if I got married now... No man would ever want a woman that has been voided of all that's herself..."_

Heiwa, Heiwa, so pretty and tall...

Cheshire hadn't understood at that time, but didn't force the subject. Even with her eight years old she could tell the woman didn't want to talk about that subject, and therefore she would not force it. Heiwa was so _nice_; she didn't deserve to be always so _sad_.

"_Listen to me, Little Flower, a last advice before you go. You are perhaps too young now, but remember this: don't ever take love for granted, and when you find it, don't let it go. Learn from my mistakes, you have choices, more than I had, don't ever allow any man to break you; not even for the sake of your family... You are proud and free; don't commit the same things I've done."_

Cheshire hadn't understood, she had been too young and innocent... But she remembered the words anyway, just in case the meaning appeared some day.

Heiwa, Heiwa; so kind but never smiled...

She had been the one to taught Cheshire how to sing, how to brew tea, how to walk gliding across the floor, how to act whichever role she decided to, how to behave with impeccable manners (not that the girl used them too often).

Heiwa, Heiwa; always barefoot and graceful...

Cheshire hid her face in her palms, ashamed of herself. _Bad, bad_ Cheshire, she hadn't visited the woman in a long, long time...

What if she thought the girl didn't loved her anymore? Oh, _no_.

_Bad_ Cheshire.

She felt like crying out of guilt, and swallowed the lump in her throat, making a strangled noise. She was going to need to pay her a visit one of these days, when she felt strong enough to make sure she would not break while looking at the woman's sad eyes.

Cheshire heard the door opening, and leaned again against the wall, with her arms crossed over her chest, and a melancholic smile. She looked at her left, at the three ninjas that had now entered the room, but said nothing.

"Cheshire? What are you doing here? ...Are you allowed to be in here?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know" She shrugged "Not that I particularly care about if I can or can't be in here."

She left the wall, and got closer to the three Genin, looking at them, _observing_ them. She slowly encircled them with slow but steady steps, looking at them one by one. Because even if she wanted to, not even Cheshire could stop the changing tides that were brought by the ticking time, and change had already started.

Sasuke was darker, but he was still somewhat fighting it, even if subconsciously.

Naruto was wilder, which was a good thing; but he was more destructive too. Ah, perhaps Chesh could teach him the good habit of meditation and restraint to counterpoint his destructiveness.

Sakura...

Cheshire stood in front of Sakura, and stared at her long and hard, until the pink-haired girl had to avert her eyes and look down. Cheshire smiled, and bowed humbly in front of her.

"Maiara" She stated without rising from her bent position.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sakura asked her, looking at the short girl once again.

"Maiara, Pronounced 'M-_AYAA_Rah', is a name for a woman worth listening to; therefore, Maiara. I like your hair shorter by the way, it suits more a Maiara than the way you had it before." She straightened and smiled fondly at the other girl.

"You were watching that second fight, right?" Sakura asked her, trying to decipher her.

"I'm _always_ watching, it's what I do. But don't mind me, I'm just rambling" She looked at all of them, and then nodded in approval. "At any rate, I'm glad you three got this far, I truly am. So, do you mind if I tag along for a while? I'm curious about all that fuss about these scrolls..."

* * *

Ah, it had been quite clever to hide a summoning jutsu on the scrolls; an excellent way to give advice to the aspiring Chunin too, a Heaven Scroll to train the mind, and an Earth Scroll to strengthen the body? Cheshire was going to have to congratulate the Hokage on that, so she made a mental note to mention it later, some time.

Now she was standing beside Kakashi, yet a little bit behind him, seeking for some sort of cover to pass unnoticed, or at least avoid drawing much attention to her while the Genin were explained the next part of the test. And now this sick-looking man- Hayate or something- was telling them that since so many had passed the second part of the exam, they were going to have to take a preliminary test, fighting one on one, all or nothing, without even taking a break from five days trying to survive by themselves in a hostile environment? How polite of them to submit the heir of their Villages to such amazing mercy. Cheshire rolled her eyes, and smirked, taking a look at all the Genin in front of her; ah, that guy with gray hair and glasses decided to quit... Ah, a pity, but understandable nevertheless.

She watched the screen select randomly the first two names for the first combat. Sasuke and some dude with black glasses and a half-curtain covering his face. Cheshire looked at Sasuke, he seemed tired, but his will remained unbroken, which was good in some aspects. The girl followed the rest of the people to the balcony to watch, eager to see the outcome of the fight.

Left and right. Left and right. Cheshire was roaming the railing in a display of natural balance, graciously avoiding stepping on hands, and fast enough so as not to block the view of the combat.

Left and right; left and right.

She walked in her tiptoes all the length of the railing, and when she arrived to the end, she turned around and repeated the process to the other side.

Left and right; left and right. Like some sort of silent guardian, right there but soundless, waiting and observing; she vaguely reminded of a hunting wolf, never letting her eyes stray from the fight.

Left and right; left and right.

She sighed. It was not looking good for Sasuke, that was for certain. Exhausted, with a curse mark that fed of his chakra and banned him from performing any kind of jutsu besides taijutsu? The odds were _not _in his favour.

Oh, yeah, and why not add to that an opponent whose ability was to _drain _chakra on top of it all? No, it was definitely _not_ looking good for Sasuke.

No, no, one should never turn their back to their opponents- not even to pay attention to certain blonde's shouting- it was the third rule from the Book of Hunting, weren't these people taught so as children? Cheshire grunted; such imprudence...

On the other hand, Sasuke seemed to be able to turn the tables around in matter of seconds; he had talent for that for sure.

Now the Uchiha was gliding in the air behind his prey- _opponent_, Cheshire corrected herself- like the shadow underneath his feet.

She felt chills running down her spine, and stopped pacing for a second, founding herself not fully able to breathe. Ah. She _felt_ his chakra turning _bad_, the seal activating. She _tasted_ its bitterness, mingling with Sasuke's spirit, taunting him, draining him, hurting him in a way that even she felt it in a faint throbbing in her neck. Because some times, just some times, it was slightly annoying to be so in touch with the life around her, to _feel_ so much.

She shook her head, and focused again, her lips turning into a grimace, preparing for the worst already. But it never came.

Surprisingly he stopped the spreading of the seal, ordering it to go back and allowing him to finish the fight, declaring him as a winner after a succession of strong blows that left his opponent unconscious.

'Lions Barrage'. Nice name, quite poetic, perhaps a little bit _too_ poetic, but oh well, that was just a minor detail.

Cheshire felt a trembling right behind her, and something that made her feel uneasy. She looked above her shoulder with raised eyebrows, and found herself almost face to face with a redhead that reeked of bloodlust. She remembered the Demons lurking at the black pit on the bottom of his eyes, the madness gnawing at the edge of his irises. Something _inside_ him was fighting to go _out_. Cheshire turned her body around to properly look at him, and cocked her head to the side.

"Did you keep my flower?" She asked, ever so polite.

The boy looked at her, in intent to stare _through_ her. After a couple of seconds he averted his gaze, and focused his eyes on Sasuke leaving the room with Kakashi. Cheshire kept on waiting for an answer, wondering what had he seen in her eyes to make him look away.

Had he seen a starving wolf with yellow eyes?

Had he seen a whispering forest at the edge of the world, with a shiny golden eagle flying above, almost touching the sun?

Had he seen the ethereal nature of her wandering spirit, the bleeding of feet that never stopped running?

"Back off." He said after a while, noticing the girl was still looking at him

Without a word, she complied, because curious as she was, the girl was no fool, and kept on walking on the rail to give him space. It was the fifth rule of the Book of Hunting: always give its space to a cornered animal, for you don't know when it might bite.

Cheshire focused her attention on the screen selecting a new pair of names, and watched the guy with spiky hair, camouflaged pants and bad attitude; and that mysterious and _distant_ looking boy get to the centre of the fighting area.

Ah, she did _not like _the way the Sound ninja was boasting, it was a foolish thing to underestimate a foe, and it would always be so. She snorted at his attitude, _tsk'ing_ in disapproval.

Umm. What was exactly going on? She did not remember having seen this kind of technique before, and just like every time she was facing something new, she was excited, all her senses sharpening to gather at once all the information she could.

This boy- Shino- had _bugs_ coming out of his skin. Coming out from _inside_ him, a whole army of bugs, of a certain species of beetle that fed on chakra, if she remembered well enough the teachings she had received on insects at some point in her life. She had always liked best the _Phengaris arion_, the Large Blue butterfly... Like the ones Heiwa kept in her garden...

Heiwa, Heiwa; all sorrow and longing...

She snapped out of her thoughts and focused once again, because something had just happened, and she had plenty of time ahead of her to reminisce at some other time.

Bad-Attitude guy apparently could use _both_ of his injured arms, and was pointing one at Shino, and the other one at the bug army. Ah, but when he tried to attack...

It had been a clever move, had Cheshire not been keeping track of every move and breathe she probably would have missed it. The bugs had entered the air holes in his palms, making him injure himself when he tried to make a move.

And indisputably, Shino won the fight.

She heard Neji, Rock Lee and their sensei talking about the technique Shino used, apparently his clan had an agreement with these insects, letting them _live_ inside them and feed of their chakra, in exchange of assistance during fights.

Cheshire whistled between her teeth, impressed. Now _that_ was a smart move, to create a symbiotic relationship like that; perhaps not the most common relationship, but still very intelligent.

She observed Shino come back to the balcony, and wondered if she should have a conversation with him soon, perhaps she would learn something both interesting and useful. Perhaps she should ask him about the Large Blue butterfly, since she knew about the insect only its scientific name, and that it was really, really pretty.

She heard a _poof_ at some spot behind her, and turned around in time to see Kakashi appearing in all his coolness and nonchalance. He said that Sasuke was _fine_, but she could read him better, and _something_ had happened. She had no idea what, but she did _not_ like the uneasy feeling she was getting; she was going to have to ask him later, when no people could eavesdrop.

The screen stated to choose the next names, and Cheshire looked at Kankuro and another guy with half a black curtain covering his face walking down to begin the fight.

Well... Two fights down, a lot more to go, and if she was lucky, she was going to see some interesting things in this preliminary test.

She allowed her mind to wander away for a couple of seconds, and it wandered far, far away... She thought about a music box that she lost, and about a book that she never quite found. She sighed, and made a mental note to go searching for both items as soon as she had some free time.

Time was indeed an issue for Cheshire.

* * *

**So... I certainly tried to treat with the most subtlety I could the theme on the first part of this chapter, now you tell me, did I succeeded? Did you grasped the concept? But more importantly, did you enjoyed this chapter? :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the delay! Here's the next chapter :)**

* * *

Fights were flying by like sparrows. It was a curious thing, each encounter incredibly intense, but ephemeral-looking, the minutes in which the decisions on which of the genin were going to pass to the next phase were both terrifyingly slow and amazingly fast. But time was ticking forward, since forward is the only way time goes.

Kankuro had won over that ninja with the half-curtain covering his face- really, what was it with these people and their sense of fashion? - With the help of his puppet, the Crow.

The fourth fight, between Sakura and the blonde girl- Ino _something_- had been amazingly _fierce_, leaving Cheshire breathless for some moments. Both girls, the blonde and the pink-haired, not only extenuated themselves due to physical weariness, but it had been also tangible the way their minds and spirits fought with each other, the way their _essence_ was pushed to limits. It had been declared a draw at the end, but what a spectacular draw it had been. Even if neither could advance towards the final stage of the exams, both learned many things, both grew up a little bit. Cheshire had smiled at that, pleased with the outcome of the encounter.

Tenten lost. Ah, well, win some, lose some. But at least she had lost fighting, and not with her head bowed like a silly puppy.

"_If you are ever to die, do it standing, like the trees, with your head held high. If you are ever to die, don't show regret or uncertainty. If you ever lose against somebody, accept your failure and their succeed, but don't you bow like a servant because of that. You will lose plenty of times in your life, but every time you die a little, do it standing, like the trees."_

Ah. Even after all those years the words were clear in her head. She saw in her thoughts the memory of an imposing-looking man with a neatly trimmed beard and sharp eyes; he was standing a top of a hill with a little girl by his side, and he was showing her the natural landmarks on their home village. He pointed her the Bear Claw Rock, and the old Arcanum building, the biggest library she had ever put her eyes upon.

"_How does anybody takes care of all this, Father? Isn't it tiresome?"_ Asked the little girl.

"_But somebody needs to do it, doesn't it?"_ Replied the man.

No, no, _bad_ Cheshire. Pay attention; don't walk down the memory lane right now.

Now _that_ had been some fight, quick, smart, clean; no loose ends to tie. That Shikamaru boy played exceptionally well his cards, taking advantage of his surroundings and never losing sight of the bigger picture. He looked like someone who would appreciate a good riddle. Perhaps a good riddle exchange was due one of these days.

When the screen chose the next pair of names, Cheshire _had_ to finally sit down, on the railing, next to Sakura and Lee. So, it was finally Naruto's time, huh? Yes, it was definitely going to be something good. She looked at him and smiled at his eagerness. He noticed her, and flashed her a toothy grin before walking down to the fighting area.

The other boy that was supposed to fight was another genin from the leaf village who had a jacket with furry patches, and carried a puppy with him.

_Kiba._

Nice name, strong name. A suitable name for someone as wild as him... But he was also too loud, too cocky; well, nobody was perfect. The both genin were throwing insults at each other, trying to win the verbal fight before getting to the physical one. She looked at Naruto, focusing her whole attention on him. He was angry, his muscles trembling like the ones from a horse that's eager to run wild and free, that's about to begin to buck in resistance.

The fight was _not_ looking good for Naruto, Kiba not only used food pills to increment his and his dog's- Akamaru- chakra and speed, but also used a jutsu that allowed the puppy to shape into a exact copy of his master. And they both, human and dog, fought together in perfect synchrony, in a way that was impressive and a little bit terrifying. Naruto fell to the floor, wounded and bleeding, and stayed there apparently unconscious.

"...A weakling like you could _never_ be Hokage! You must be weak in the head!" Kiba said.

Well...

That was incredibly rude. Cheshire frowned, her lips curling back in a feral grimace, showing her white teeth in disapproval. He was _not_ weak. From the very first instant she had dared to look at him she _knew_ he was strong, as strong as one could be. He had spent his childhood alone, with nobody to take care of him, nobody to teach him anything...

Cheshire felt _bad_. She was selfish, oh so selfish, she had had many, many teachers while he hadn't had anybody- excluding his first sensei, who focused more on his general well-being than on his education anyway.

He _had_ been the worst of the class, but he never gave up. Always training, practicing, always trying to improve, trying to be stronger, better. No, no, he certainly was _not_ weak, nobody with half the burning spirit he had could be called weak, not once in a lifetime. Without noticing, she started to make a low rumbling noise from the back of her throat, like some irritated animal.

He _had_ to wake up and keep fighting, he _had_ to, there were already so many people that surrendered all over the world, somebody _had_ to keep on fighting despite the odds, somebody _had _to...

Ah. That was more like it, raise up with that determined gleam in the eyes, yes.

"You will never be Hokage, because I am the top dog now." Naruto said.

Of course, nothing better than a witty phrase to start turning the tables. Cheshire barked a short laugh, and gripped the railing so hard with her hands that her knuckles turned white with the motion.

Amazing. He used the smoke on his favour to transform himself into another clone of Kiba, making him unsure of which one he should attack. She heard Sakura and Lee at her side, shouting encouraging things to the blonde. It had been a bright move.

And even when Kiba used his nose to identify him, he had his head clear enough to transform into a copy of Akamaru, making the other genin forget at all about his sense of smell, and punching the other copy hard enough to make it lose its consciousness. Ah, he left out cold his own dog. Cheshire smiled, Naruto was definitely something else, he couldn't make a multiplication for the sake of his life, but in the heat of a fight he could come up with these outstanding strategies. Ah, what a wonderful being he was...

Plus, he had that sunshine smile of him.

What was he talking about now? Super secret killer move? Was he just bluffing or was he serious?

Cheshire cocked her head to the side, her eyes observing Naruto intently, taking in every inch of him. And she foresaw the outcome of the battle.

Kiba threw some shuriken at his opponent, but the blonde dodged them fast enough not to get injured... But he couldn't dodge the punch, and fell to the ground once again.

"On your feet, Naruto!" Sakura screamed.

He complied, tired, but still standing. He watched at Kiba charging against him again, and understood that he had to do _something_ to slower him, he was too fast for him to even attempt to do any hand sign.

"I will be Hokage, I will never lose to you, or anyone here. "

It is spelled Naruto, it's pronounced 'determination'. Again he fell, again he stood tall, facing him, taunting him to attack. But he had to do _something_, something to stop him; Kiba was fast, _too fast_...

Well. Well... yes, even _that_ worked, why not? _Now _having a sharp sense of smell wasn't _that_ good.

"Whatever works, Naruto! You slowed him down at least!"Sakura cheered.

Ah, yes, Chesh had to agree with her indeed. Just whatever works.

The blonde made shadow clones of himself, surrounded Kiba, and started a rampage of punches and hits against him, throwing him in the air and kicking him hard and even harder. There was one fraction of a second before the last kick in which Naruto side-glanced at the audience, and he made eye contact with Cheshire. She let him _see_ she was proud of him, she had never doubted of him. _Never_. In that fraction of a second, she was also pleased to see a fierce look in his eyes, like a lion just before giving the final bite to kill its prey. Ah, what a long way he had come, and so much longer was the way ahead of him...

Naruto was declared the winner- obviously- and Kiba had been taken away by medical ninjas. The crowd was cheering on the winner. The blonde climbed up the stairs to where everybody was, boasting and grinning and just so _happy_ it was contagious. The girl approached him, but stopped short on her track when she saw a shy girl with short hair offering something. Wait, was she blushing? And stuttering? Oh... So _that_ was it, huh? Heh, it was cute. He didn't seem to notice at any rate, but it was cute anyway.

When he took the healing ointment in his hands and the conversation- or something like that, given the fact that the shy girl hadn't really talked more than a few words- ended, Cheshire approached him, and embraced him in a bear hug that would have put Okku to shame. Then she ruffled his hair. Some people looked at the scene curiously, but Naruto was used to her being like this. She told him once she was raised differently than most of the people she knew, that from where she was it was common to behave warm and touchy, sometimes to strangers; to treat everybody as a brother or sister. He hadn't fully understood, but had accepted what she said nevertheless.

She let go of him, and put both her hands on his shoulders. Then she stared at him dead in the eye, long and hard, enough time to make him feel like some small animal being studied.

She simply nodded her head once.

"I knew I liked you for some reason. That was a fine encounter... A shame you didn't put any dragons in it. I like dragons." She just said.

He blinked. Then shrugged, and allowed a smile to climb up to his lips.

"I guess I could try to pull off some dragon out of my sleeve in my next battle!" He said good-naturedly.

Cheshire smiled, wide and wicked. She liked when he went along with the things she said; he was indeed a very good friend, not everybody had the manners to do that for her.

"Oh, please do. If you could, I'd be the happiest woman in the entire universe. I like dragons."

* * *

Hinata looked at the screen, disbelievingly. She had went down to offer Kiba some of her healing ointment, and when she turned around to see what names would be chosen next, she fell short of breath.

She just stood there, speechless, staring at the screen.

_Hinata Hyuga_

_VS_

_Neji Hyuga_

Of all people... Of all people in here, she was going to have to fight _him_? She soundlessly walked to the centre of the arena, forcing all her will into not shaking. Slowly, she raised her eyes to look at her opponent, to look at those cold, judging eyes.

She knew it. He was going to have no mercy towards her.

"Withdraw now" He started saying to her "You know you were never meant to be a ninja."

What?

"You are too _kind and gentle_. You seek _harmony_ and avoid conflict" He spat those words with venom "You are easily swayed by others"

She looked at her side. Why was he always this cruel to her, _why?_ It was not her fault to have been born in the main branch of the family, she had never asked for that! She let her eyes roam through the crowd, and surprised when she found a girl staring back directly at her. She was sitting on the railing and had green eyes and long hair; she knew she had seen her before around, but she never talked to her. Wasn't she the one that hugged Naruto some minutes ago? What was her relation with him anyway? Hinata couldn't keep looking at the girl, and focused her eyes on the ground. Those green eyes were so piercing that she felt afraid of her, whoever she was.

She listened to Neji keep on ranting about her flaws- as if her own father hadn't pointed out that same long list of flaws before- but he was wrong on one thing. She had _wanted_ to enlist for this exam; she wanted to see if she could overcome her flaws, if she could _change_.

* * *

Cheshire sat down on the railing once again, between Sakura and Naruto. She looked at the pair below, and made a mental list of all the resemblances they had, despite their eyes, of course. She heard Lee tell the others about their blood connection, and how the side branch of the Hyuga clan resented the main branch. She heard Neji tell awful things to Hinata, and she stared at her.

Why was she allowing him to disrespect her in such a way?

Cheshire _tsk'ed_, annoyed. What was wrong with being gentle and seeking harmony? It was what _she_ was taught to do, after all. She was told to be polite to everybody, and to avoid disrupting the balance. Did that meant that a ninja was supposed to create bloodshed and bludgeon everybody around? Now _that_ was stupid. But she did not say that out loud, because perhaps it was only the way Neji had been brought up. She couldn't blame him, if that was the case.

"People can't change, no matter how hard they try." He stated "They can't run away from their true nature. A failure will always be a failure."

Oh, no he didn't. People _could_ change, as many times as they wanted, and Cheshire was the living proof of that. Even if their 'true nature' would always be there, stitched to their essence, it did not mean that they could not do a single thing against their own flaws. That was just a sorry excuse to be lazy, to avoid pushing the limits.

But how, if not pushing the limits, was a person supposed to learn who they are?

"_Don't be afraid, my daughter. Don't be afraid of anything, never. Remember the only way to see if you can fly, is staring in the maw of an abyss, and letting you freefall. Then you'll know if you have the wings to fly."_

"_And if I don't?"_

"_Then you fall to the ground. You'll be hurt. But then you stand up again and try until you grow a pair of wings."_

No, silly Neji. A person can grow a pair of wings, no matter who they are. We are who we are, but not because of their blood, not because what we've been given. What defines us is what we _do_ with what we've been given, even if we jump and fall down the abyss, even when everything fails...

No, no, no. We _can_ change, as many times as we want. There's nothing written in stone, there's no such thing as fate. No, we forge our own destiny with the road we walk, a road that builds itself with every step we take.

Cheshire heard Naruto growling besides her, angry at the words Neji was saying.

How rude it was of him to analyse her cousin like that, out loud, in front of everybody. If you are going to analyse a person, do it in silence; that's more polite. And Hinata was frail, so frail and scared, she wanted to run away from him, to build a thousand-feet wall in between them, because she was tempted to run and run... Cheshire prayed to Heaven that she didn't run. Once you started running, you can never stop; it was a nasty habit she couldn't get rid of.

"That does it!" Naruto cried "WHO GAVE _YOU_ THE RIGHT TO TELL HER WHAT SHE CAN OR CAN'T BE? COME ON, HINATA, PROVE THIS GUY IS WRONG! ARE YOU JUST GOING TO STAND THERE AND TAKE IT?!"

Oh yes. He was angry. But it figures, after all. How many times was he told the same, that he was not worth it, that he _couldn't_? But he _could_ and he _did_. Cheshire put a gentle hand on his shoulder, to calm him down a little bit. His ragged breathing improved, but she could still _feel_ his anger.

"You know" Cheshire said loud enough for the two people in the lower level to listen "Once, there was this _bad_ man who told me to stay down and be quiet, because my _place_ was to be a stupid beast, a pretty trophy. He marked me so that I would never forget my _place_." Her tone was almost bored "Then I spat on his face and bit on his hand hard enough that he had to receive stitches. That's just my style. What's yours?" She said directly to Hinata.

Chesh saw the shy girl gulp at her words, and then look at Naruto, searching for something. She seemed to found it, because her face changed, and looked down, determined. She was _not_ going to run away, she was _not_ going to hide anymore. Good, that was more like it, it was more than enough with one runaway girl on the room.

They started the fight.

Apparently, the taijutsu of the Hyuga clan was a special one; they made _internal_ damage instead of breaking skin and bones. A remarkable style. Cheshire extended her chakra over the arena, in intent to gather everything that was going on in the fight, everything her eyes could not normally see.

_Bad _idea.

Cheshire flinched as she felt a sharp pain in her chest. That had been a _strong_ blow, Neji directly attacked Hinata's _heart_. Cheshire mumbled something incoherently, and withdraw her chakra. Sometimes, _feeling_ everything was more annoying than good.

Such a shame. Despite her bravery, at the end she still lost. It was amazing watching the shy little girl to keep on fighting though, even if she knew she was weaker than Neji, she still stood her ground, she had wanted to prove him he was _wrong_. And only by trying, she had changed her own nature, even if her own cousin failed to realise it.

He had tried to hurt her further, even after he was declared the winner. Had the jonins not stopped him...

Neji was fucked up. There was not another way to say it; the boy had issues, and loads of them. He had so much resent burned into him that even with the Byakugan he was blind. Cheshire felt bitterness on the tip of her tongue. Had he no _mercy_ at all? She watched Naruto, Sakura and Lee jump down to take a look at Hinata; she watched Lee stop Naruto from fighting Neji in the spot, because that would have been against the rules.

She smiled.

Without a sound she descended to the fighting arena, and strode casually past the people there, until she was standing in front of Neji. And without a word, she slapped him hard enough to leave a red mark across his cheek. He looked at her, both surprised and angered.

"What? Do you want to step up for Hinata too?" He said.

"No. I think that she doesn't need anybody to speak for her, given the show of a fight that she just gave. But I don't like you; therefore, I was simply expressing my growing distaste for you. Whatever little family quarrel you carry in your blood it's nothing of my business, honestly, I couldn't care less about that. But the things you said _offended_ me. When a woman is _offended_, she slaps. Hard."

Without a single further word, she turned around and walked up to the balcony again, to wait for the next battle.

Two more battles to go. Two more battles to go and then she could vanish away to meditate in peace, she could go to Anika's to eat her favourite dessert, only two more battles. She looked up to the screen.

_Gaara_

_VS_

_Rock Lee_

Cheshire grinned an overstretched grin. This was going to be _interesting._

* * *

**Yes, Chesh, as interesting as observing a man slaughter a deer. And then skin it.**_  
_


	10. Chapter 10

**I can't believe this is the 10th chapter already! Anyway, this goes to the lovely Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, who's been encouraging me since day one. Thanks for everything! :)**_  
_

* * *

_A village at the End of the World; all trees wherever she looked, everything was surrounded by a magnificent forest with soft grass and blue jays flying above. The High Forest, if she remembered well enough the teachings her daddy and other tutors put so much effort into. And of course she remembered well, she _liked_ to remember after all. Her daddy had told her that remembering things was imbedded in her blood, that it was probably an inheritance from her mother, since he had a terrible memory._

_She didn't blame him; years and years spent meeting boring people in boring official stuff would have done that to her memory too. He was always busy with official stuff, poor daddy, forever condemned to wear those dark rings under his eyes, forever with that tired smile and the laughter of a man that has lost many things._

_Despite all his sadness, she never saw him cry, not even one time. He was so _strong_, so _tall_, and everybody looked at him in an admiring way, like he was the finest of men, a marvellous creature among simple mortals. And the little girl always saw him as that, her father with his broad shoulders and sharp eyes. And he gave the bests of hugs. _

* * *

Cheshire suppressed a laugh. It was amazing how she still remembered him that way, even after all that had happened over the years. But she had plenty of time left to remember him, and perhaps to pay him a visit... in a couple of years... and not alone... Last time she did, she could not stop crying in four days, it hadn't been the man's fault, he had always tried to do what was best for her, and even if in her childhood he hadn't been around too much, he _had_ been a good father; a father that did not blame her when she ran away last time.

"_That's the way you live now, sweetheart? You roam this world endlessly trying to find the answer to a question you don't know?"_

She thought he was going to punish her in some way;to give her a stern lecture on the fact that what she did was dangerous and wrong- or to stop her- but no... He just sighed and smiled that tired smile of his.

"_I suppose that figures. Your mother was just like you, her own nature condemned her to keep on travelling the same lonely road that you. Then we fell in love and got married, and I suppose her anxiety for running away decreased considerably. I pray that some day you find a place to stay too, but you are your mother's child, I couldn't tie her to one place, and neither can I do that to you. Just... promise me that you'll come around from time to time. And this time _stay away_ from shiny birds."_

Cheshire knew she was probably the only child in the world to have a father like hers. She also knew that some time, in some years, she probably should return to keep on with her family's business. But that was many years in the future, and there was no use on trying to step so ahead of the present; that way she would only trip and fell.

Now... Now was the time to testify an epic fight, or so she reminded herself. She sat down on the railing, in front of Naruto and that Kankuro guy, and observed Lee jumping down, all eagerness and energy, to meet his opponent.

Gaara.

Ignoring the little voice at the back of her brain that told her that no, it was _not_ a good thing, once again the girl reached down with her chakra and became in synchrony with the battle below her.

Lee was fast, but not fast enough; what a shame, he had so much potential, yet Gaara kept blocking each one of his attacks with a barrier made of sand. No matter how unexpected or sharp were the turns Lee did in intent of damaging his opponent, a sand wall would always rise to stop him in his tracks.

"...The sand is protecting him on its own accord" Kankuro told Naruto "It's almost like a living thing. It'll come to Gaara's defence without him doing anything. That's why Gaara's never been injured, no one's ever been able to touch him..."

So Cheshire had been right after all, there _was_ something inside him; something desperately fighting to get out, something that did not care if it broke its host on the process, as long as it was allowed to be _out_. And she felt the thin veil that avoided the _thing_ to get out slowly tearing apart; soon enough there would not be anything that stopped it. She shivered; there was something just _wrong_ about all this.

The redhead- or better said his sand- went after Lee, grabbing him by his foot and throwing him hard against the wall. Cheshire flinched, feeling herself the blow, even if a little milder. The shiny-haired boy swiftly got up and evaded the next blow, and trying to get past the sand barrier once again, but with no avail.

He managed to escape another blow, but it had certainly been really close. Cheshire heard Gai telling him to take off _something_, and Lee complied, visibly happy. He then took off some leg weights he had hidden in his orange leg warmers, and let them fell to the floor, which caused an evident surprise among the audience; of course nobody expected that the leg weights were so incredibly heavy as to cause such destruction when they hit the floor.

Cheshire smiled. Impressive.

Now he was breathtakingly fast, it was hard even for her to follow all his moves. The only person she knew that could achieve such a speed was her own father, and she was amazed- and with her heart slightly moved- to see this boy reach that almost inhuman level of speediness. Lee finally managed to break through Gaara's defence and with an effective kick he occasioned a cut on the redhead's cheek. Inspired by his success, the fast boy kept on fighting him until he managed to throw him off his feet. When Gaara stood up once again, Cheshire felt a shiver run down her spine.

Something was _wrong_. Very, very _wrong._

She was too far away to take a proper look at the depth of his eyes, but she could see his expression clearly. In his face, in between the falling sand that apparently acted as an armour sticking to his skin, there was clearly an invisible word written.

_Madness_.

She _knew_ madness well enough to be able to set apart the different kinds of the state. There was good madness, the one inspired the genius to dream the impossible, and then to achieve it. There was the fun madness, the one most commonly held by hermit writers and old retired warriors. Then, there was the _bad_ madness. The one that brought nothing else but chaos and destruction just for the sake of it.

Another shiver ran down her spine, and she bit her lower lip, uneasy with the situation. She could _feel_ his spirit twisting upon itself, mixing with the one from the creature trapped inside. Definitely _not _a good thing.

She listened in the background how Kankuro explained to Naruto how this sand armour of his worked, but she was paying no attention at all; instead she focused on Lee, and the way he was running around trapping Gaara in whirlwind of sorts, only to throw him on the air with an amazing series of powerful upside-down kicks. Then he effectuated his Primary Lotus technique, and both genin fell to the ground with an amazing force.

Ah, such a pity it didn't actually worked.

At some fraction of a second, the redhead had traded his body for a sand shell, preventing him from taking any damage aside from the first few kicks.

He reappeared behind Lee, all sand and madness and _bloodlust_ that Cheshire could taste it at the back of her throat, it was sickening, she wanted to throw up to get rid of that horrible taste, but refrained herself from doing so. Kankuro put both his hands on the railing beside her, with a troubled face; he looked down at his teammate- Cheshire thought she heard somewhere they were brothers, despite the notorious differences.

"...That look in his eyes... That could only mean... The Demon inside him has awakened" The black-clad guy said, low enough to be barely more than a whisper, loud enough for her ears to catch.

"Now when you say Demon, are you speaking metaphorically...?" She cautiously asked.

Kankuro looked at her dead in the eye.

"I'll put it this way. That kid down there" He signalled towards Lee "Would be really lucky to die right now, instead of facing Gaara like this."

Cheshire gulped, and returned her attention to the battle. So the _thing_ was Demon. An actual Demon. Well...

Seen one Demon, seen them all, but it was still something to be careful around. Something to be _very_ careful around, since Demons tend to be unpredictable and messy; they shouldn't be trapped into people, they should be left alone in the dark, and pay no attention to. Demons were sneaky and cold, and had a predisposition towards evil, they shouldn't be used as weapons, they shouldn't be looked for, and certainly, they should _not_ be listened at. Never.

She closed her eyes for a second and saw a little girl sitting in a rock, trying to read from a big black book in her hands. Around her, shadows lurked and laughed and mocked and taunted her, offered her deals and power and knowledge; they asked her to be a herald of destruction, to let them roam free and allow their rage fall upon this world, to...

_No._

It had been the worst test she had received; she had had nightmares for months after that. She still had.

Cheshire shook her head and focused once again.

Lee was tired, and the sand kept going towards him like some merciless hunter. Cheshire saw Gaara lick his lips, and a strangled sound escaped her throat. He was anxious for blood.

Attack after attack Lee tried to resist without ever giving up; he still managed to stand up. Cheshire ignored the pain she felt with every attack, _Lee's pain;_ she was somewhat used to feel others aching and could stand it for some period of time.

The five chakra gates? Really? He was really able to open some of them?

"_There are five points in your body that encage the strongest concentration of chakra. They are called the Gate of Opening, of Rest, of Life, of Pain, of Closing, of Joy, of Shock, and the Gate of Death. Opening them would grant you access to amazing amount of power, but also to certain risk of doing irreparable damage to your body. That's why I'll only teach you the theory, Aisha, you manage to stumble right into the most unlikely dangerous situations without me providing you a way of doing so more easily"_

So she only learnt the theory, but that was more than enough to avoid her from getting anywhere close to try open one of the gates for herself. But maybe, that's what Lee needed to win this fight, to win over a Demon...

The Third Gate, the Gate of Life was open now. And his speed increased even more, that Hidden Lotus technique had been outstanding, maybe Lee could be the one to win by himself over a Demon, maybe...

No, no. Malchance slapped her own silly face. Don't high your hopes that much, silly, girl, no human is able to win that easily over a Demon. No normal human at least, that is.

And as usual, Malchance was right, and somehow Gaara was still conscious, still wanting blood. From his spot on the floor, he commanded his sand to chase down a tired Lee trapping both his left arm and leg and...

PAIN.

She somehow managed to suppress the scream that wanted to break lose from her throart, she doubled over her own body, barely avoiding falling from the railing. If _she_ was feeling so much pain, then what would _Lee_ be feeling?

* * *

Naruto had been following the fight closely, first some steps behind Cheshire, but as the time passed he was gripping the railing with his hands, right next to the girl. He was almost trembling, looking intently the way Lee finally seemed to turn the tables, performing his Hidden Lotus and smashing that creepy Gaara dude against the ground.

For a couple of seconds he was thrilled, so it seemed that his friend had won the fight! Finally!

But then, the redhead- miraculously keeping his consciousness- attacked Lee once again with his sand, encaging his left limbs...

Cheshire screamed, it was a strangled high pitched sound, like she tried to muffle the sound; then he noticed she started to dangerously sway, almost as if she was struggling to keep her balance.

"Chesh? You okay? You look pale, what's wrong?" He asked.

Instead of replying, the girl doubled her body in half, holding her left arm with a painful grimace. He saw her eyes watering, and worried with her sudden change of attitude.

"Hey! Are you hurt?"

"No!" She said between ragged breathing "No... I don't get it... If I feel it this strong... why isn't he agonising on the floor? This is just... downright torture..."

Naruto became even more concerned.

"What are you talking about? Who's not agonising?"

"Lee! I... I feel his pain, every bone is broken, every muscle pulled apart! I'm stuck!"

By now, Kankuro looked at them, curious.

"What do you mean you _feel_ it?" He asked the girl, an arched eyebrow.

"I just do... I can _feel _around, emotions, intentions, _pain_..."

"Huh? But how do you...?" Started Kankuro again.

"I just do! Stop asking now!"

Naruto grabbed her from the back of her dress and yanked her backwards to avoid her from falling. Really, what was she thinking, sitting there nonchalantly on a railing?

It was so strange, she claimed she could feel what others felt, he had thought of nearly ten questions, but stopped himself from asking. Clearly something was wrong for her to answer in such a rude way.

* * *

Cheshire felt Naruto's hand at her back, offering her some help to regain the balance; and she made a mental note to thank him later.

But she had to stop it, she had to break the connection, she couldn't think, couldn't breath, it was too much! She felt every single muscle of her left arm and leg tearing apart, almost disintegrating in a painful, painful way, every bone being crashed, she could hear in her mind the cracking sound like war drums that made every other noise seem so far away and distant...

She tried to make her chakra retreat, but she just couldn't, she couldn't make it obey her command; it was too much, she was unable to think clearly, let alone focus her entire being into the task...

Cheshire was stuck.

For the first time in years, she was stuck.

She panicked, her breathing becoming even more fast and shallow, she could have swore she heard the two boys behind her say something, but her ears weren't listening. She was stuck! _STUCK!_ Cheshire did _not _get stuck at _anything_, being stuck meant she wasn't able to leave, and if she wasn't, if she wasn't...

Everything ceased suddenly. It took a few seconds for her to realise why. She looked down at the arena, and saw Gai standing in front of Lee. Ah, so that was it. He was unconscious, that's the reason the pain subsided suddenly. If he couldn't feel it, neither could she.

Gaara stood up, and turned to leave; apparently pissed off by the jonin protecting his student of a very much certain death. It was finally over...

Not.

Even without consciousness Rock Lee still stood up once again, his ardent desire of proving his will ordering his torn body to stand and keep on fighting. It was amazing, one of the most impressive moments of her life; to be able to stand even after all the strain and injuring his body had suffered...

"Naruto" She said "Go check on Lee. Please."

The blonde didn't need any more than that to snap out of his shock and run down in a haste to meet his fallen friend. Cheshire allowed herself to fall backwards, her back hitting the floor- she didn't care that it hurt- and her feet still on the railing. She exhaled, tired and troubled. Kankuro looked at her sprawled floor, an unasked question in his eyes. She sighed, she was tired, too tired to run in circles with words now.

"It's called Spiritual Empathy. I heard it being called Spirit Symbiosis too though... It's a state in which you use your chakra to, let's say, become a part of the living creatures around you, it can be targeted towards one being, or an area in general. That way you can recognise creatures and people without using your eyes; you can _feel_ what they feel, not with the same intensity, but I'll say that about a seventy-five per cent. It's an interesting cousin branch of meditation, but sometimes it can backfire... Like you saw before..." She looked slightly ashamed.

"So before, you were getting hurt just as the bushy brow guy over there?" He asked.

"Sort of. I didn't actually got hurt, by body is still intact; I just felt the pain as if I was getting hurt."

"That seems annoying. Why can you use a technique like that for?" He said, furrowing his brow.

Cheshire smiled a wicked smile from the floor. Then she sat down, and looked away, remembering something...

"To _understand_" She told him, and vanished away.

She reappeared still sitting on the floor, next to Lee's litter.

"...Massive damage" She heard the medical ninja told Gai "He'll never fight again... His days of a shinobi are over."

Ah.

Figures, after all the injures he had suffered. She looked at him and a twinge of sadness stroke her heart. Such a shame, such a shame... But perhaps...

No. She had to keep her expectations low. Besides, it was not her business to be offering help just like that to anybody... No, no, she couldn't make distinctions like that. No.

The last fight had been... Well, quick, at least. The preliminary exam was finally over, and they had one full month to train and recover before the final "real" part of the exam. Apparently, all sorts of "important" people were going to be invited, since these exams were kind of a big thing between villages.

* * *

She was walking with Naruto towards the hospital; he wanted to visit the hospital before dedicating full time to train for his upcoming fight with Neji. He was so excited that Cheshire was surprised he wasn't bouncing around in delight, but then again, she always seemed to calm people down a little just by her presence.

"So, what was that thing that happened at the end of Lee's fight anyway?" He asked, walking with his arms behind his head.

She told him with almost the same words she used to explain her technique before.

"So, it's like you can read someone's mind?"

"No... Not really. It's something more instinctual, I can't "read" thoughts actually, not that human minds are like books, I heard they're more like images and fragments of memories. No real words to read."

"Oh. That Empathy thing sounds cool anyway. Do you think you could teach me?"

Cheshire stopped short on her tracks.

He noticed it, and turned around. She was smiling, and for the first time it looked like a genuine smile, one that didn't sent shivers down his spine.

"Why? Why do you want to learn?" She asked, her head cocked to one side.

"Well... I don't know. It sounds something interesting I guess. That way it could be easier to, you know, understand what people are trying to tell me... I know that makes me sound dumb, but... well, you know what I mean!" He slightly blushed, embarrassed.

The girl suddenly embraced him, and let him go as fast, without letting her smile go. He _did_ like that smile, it made her look pretty.

"Then of course I'll teach you. It's not an easy technique though, it takes time to master. I'll teach you, but not now... You see, now I was planning to leave..." She looked uneasy.

She was certainly bad at good-byes.

"Huh? Now? But why? And how long?"

"Yeah, now. I need to think a lot of things, and I need to train myself too; specially how to endure pain. I'm used to run from it, so what happens when like today, it finally reaches me?" She waved a hand in front of her to avoid the blonde form answering "No, no, I'm no use if I'm on the ground agonising because of injures that are not even mine. As for how long... I don't know, I suppose that long enough. That's the time it usually takes to do anything."

She turned around to leave, but Naruto stopped her putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait you can't just...!" He started to say, but stopped immediately.

The speed at which she turned around, the hidden threat in her eyes when she stared at him... He actually saw why some people thought she was dangerous. He gulped.

"That's stupid. To try to avoid me from leaving, that is. Don't do it. _Never. _Neither say again that I _can',_ because I _can, _and I _will_."

She blinked, and the feral look disappeared, and she smiled that twisted grin of hers.

"I'm sorry, it's just a habit. Anyway, it's getting late. I really should be going now... Oh, don't look at me like that, I can't promise anything, but I'll be probably back to see your fight. With some luck."

Naruto was going to reply something, but she gave him no time for that; ghostly Cheshire vanished in the spot.

* * *

**So, the Chunin exams are slowly coming to an end... (insert some dramatic music here)**


	11. Chapter 11

**This is sort of a slow chapter, meant for transition and loaded with animals. **

* * *

Cheshire loved animals, it had always been so. From the slippery koi fish to the mighty mountain lion, from the shady lone wolf to the nervous doe, she loved all the same, as she had been taught to do so. If you asked her for her favourite animal, she would probably answer "Okku" right away; not bears, no, but _her_ bear, just as a kid loves _his _puppy above the rest of the canine population.

If she had to choose a kind though, she would spend some minutes thinking about the right answer; because she put effort into making every single choice she did the _true_ one, not the _correct_ one, but the one that spoke her heart.

Wolves could have been a nice choice; but they weren't her favourite animals whatsoever. She liked them because she was one of them, among wolves she was at home because they recognised her as an equal;she was a starving tired wolf with yellow eyes and a predisposition towards hunting- or haunting perhaps.

She also liked birds; they were pretty and could fly whenever they wanted to. Ah, lucky birds, gliding through air, up above simple humans with narrow minds and empty hearts... Lucky birds that looked at the ground, a part of this world but at the same time so far away... Yet it was following a bird that she had triggered her own bad luck.

No, birds were not her favourite animal.

If asked properly, she would have answered that her favourite animal were horses. With horses she had a special connection, a mutual understanding that was beyond any possible words. She was used to look at wild horses running through grasslands, all of them so royal and wild and noble and _free_...

Horses kept a latent fire sealed within; it was reflected in their trembling muscles when they ran with powerful legs, in the way their big eyes looked around them, with both curiosity and caution, in their manes flying in the wind. Yes, horses were definitely Cheshire's favourite animals; she was always marvelled at the bond that could be created between those magnificent creatures and humans- with all the proper patience and taming, of course- and she had always envied her father for having his loyal cream-coloured mare. Cheshire had some horse friends over the world, but she hadn't had enough time to create a proper friendship with them, a fact she had always regretted.

Now, she had a list of the things she wanted to get done in this month, and that's why the girl was standing a top of a hill looking at the herd of horses that had made a stop to rest and eat the green fresh grass. Her trained eyes looked for her prey, and she smiled upon seeing it: the beautiful grey Lipizzan stallion she had been studying for the past eight months. The animal had inherited elegance and a quick temper, it took her nearly three months to be able to stand less than three meters away for him; but Cheshire had patience, and she knew that the waiting would be worth at the end.

She swiftly paced down the hill and whistling a catchy tune, she stepped among the herd, nodding her head in salutation to the horses she had come to know with time. They were all pretty in a sense or another, but it was the grey stallion the one that had caught her attention from the first instant, and she felt a need to get close to that animal. Cheshire approached her goal, and the animal raised its head to look at her; he was already used to this petite human being close by, but he still kept his suspicions about her, like a good horse should always do. The girl stepped in front of him, and arched her body in an elegant bow, showing him his due respect, he was, after all, a prince of horses, proud and fast and oh so _wild_...

The animal relaxed a little bit, and allowed her to pet him in the muzzle and forehead.

Cheshire grinned delighted, and almost purred at her new achievement. Perhaps... perhaps she would be able to...

Slowly, almost painfully so, she moved her hands to the animal's neck, stroking him there; then his chest, and then, silently, she stepped a small step so that she was facing his left flank. She twined her fingers into his mane...

The horse- she was going to have to name him one of these days- stepped aside and looked at her directly in the eye, his neck arched and his four legs straight. She understood, and walked away in silence.

Ah, she was amazed the animal couldn't properly talk, but then again, he made clear his desires without the need to speak anyway. _"No"_, he had told her, firm and proud. Cheshire sighed, slightly disappointed, it was not going to be this day that she could ride him, but she had enough patience to spend into the task. Moving away from the animals she vanished away.

* * *

The second day she spent it fully on vacation, dedicating her time to roam through the southern mountains with Okku, talking about philosophy and the classic authors, and asking the bear to tell her about the old wars he had taken participation in.

"I took down fourteen humans before some cowardly miserable being shot me an arrow. I thought I was dying, but thanks to the Creator the missile missed my heart. I had to lie down for three months in my cave, and missed the whole warm station. The man I had made a contract with at the time insisted on looking at my wound, but what's the use of having claws and teeth and thick skin if I need _humans_ to look after me?" The animal shook his head "No, if I can't keep my hide intact with what I've been born with, then I might as well die from a cold. I never found out who was the bastard who shot me, but some scaredy cat he- or she- might have been. If you're going to fight do it with honour and facing your opponent, if not, hide away."

"But it's not always like that, Old Father Bear, does intelligence and cunning not count at all? I mean, if you are small and not very strong but you still wish to fight, doing so the way you say it's only pure suicide." Cheshire replied.

The animal looked gravely at her.

"Leave slyness to foxes and crows, and to those animals without honour; leave cunning to those who need to sneak behind in shadows. Bears and badgers don't do so."

The girl nodded and made a mental note to remember that.

Bears and badgers don't do so.

* * *

Cheshire was lying down at some time of the night in the cold desert. She had spent thirty-six hours nonstop looking into different libraries, searching for old books and tales and dusty history tomes. She had read in the dim candlelight for hours until her eyes hurt, and even so, she kept on reading.

Cheshire liked books.

It was finally in the depths of a closed library that she had found a yellowing scroll with the information she was looking for. On the scroll, there were depicted nine drawings of dangerous-looking creatures with some brief descriptions about their natures and abilities, and two or three different possible theories- in the form of old-fashioned poetry- about their creation. She had looked at the date of the scroll and hummed in awe, it was almost a century old; that explained the poor state of the paper.

Her eyes then had read through the words of the title: _The Nine Biju- Ichibi, Nibi, Sanbi, Yonbi, Gobi, Rokubi, Nanabi, Hachibi, Kyubi._ The girl had looked with special attention at every single drawing, and read carefully each word that was written on the scroll, trying to remember every tiny fact of information.

Now, she smiled in delight from her spot at the chilly desert; her eyes so tired that she wasn't able to look at the stars and salute at her old friends that were the constellations. Yes, she certainly was closer to the answer, and that's exactly why she had come here a few hours before. She had tried to _understand_ this time, and she had been in the brink of doing so, but the final answer still evaded her in a way that she found remarkably infuriating.

How was she supposed to understand a place that was so _dead_?

Ichibi. The one-tailed Demon. Able to manipulate sand and bend it at his will.

But still there was something missing there, she had only half the full explanation. Cheshire sighed, tired. Suddenly she felt a tickling sensation at her legs, and opening her eyes she barely raised her head; a black slender snake was- for some reason- twirling around her legs. The girl shrugged it off and laid down once again with her eyes closed, not bothered at all by the animal. She felt it slide its scaly body up to her chest, and curled there, possibly glad that it found a warm place to spend the night. Cheshire opened one eye to peek curiously, and found herself face to face with the reptile.

"Hello there." The girl simply said.

The animal briefly stuck out her bifid tongue, and then- apparently approving the girl- put its head a top of its curled body.

Cheshire grinned without moving. Perhaps this desert wasn't so dead after all.

* * *

Discipline was a very important part of her training, because she could _not_ allow herself to leave things half-done. It was either to do something or not to do it, but she loathed leaving unfinished tasks.

She had told herself she would train as if her life depended on it- because it seemed that's what everybody else was doing- and so she would do so for the remaining two and a half weeks.

Breathe; in, out.

She was meditating, sitting at the verge of a tall cliff. Her legs were crossed and her palms resting on her knees.

She had been practicing with her katana until her hands started bleeding from holding the hilt so firmly. She had made the basic moves her father taught her- long ago, when her dress was longer and her face unscarred- with a pace so slow it was difficult for her to maintain balance. But that had been the way he taught her, if she could achieve the perfect postures in an almost inhumanly slow speed, then it would be much easier for her to do it at a much faster rhythm afterwards. As everything he always said, she found out it was true.

She performed the sharp turns and jumps her kenjutsu style was based on, broadly defining arches in the air and with dangerous retreats to avoid being reached by the enemy's attack.

Breathe; in, out.

After that, she had tried- and failed- to win multiple races with a sparrow. The animal seemed to find amusing that the human made intent to win over the flying creature using her legs; but finally grew tired of the lack of improving, and started to groom itself nested in some branch of a tree.

Breathe; in, out.

Now, Cheshire was meditating, because she had not finished training her body, and she _knew_ she was too tired to keep on in her normal state.

She voided her mind of every possible thought and emotion, and relaxed her body, focusing only in her breathing. Soon, she focused so hard that she stopped feeling the aching muscles and throbbing hands, she felt her soul slightly tugging away from her body, her senses numbing but at the same time sharpening in a subconsciously way. She freed herself from time and place, and a gentle voice whispered her memories.

"_Yes Aisha, it's amazing what you can achieve in this state, but watch out. Even if you can ignore pain and wounds, even if you can go on like this for days without eating- it's outstanding what the mind can do- it's a double edged weapon. Keep it too long and you can be trapped, you can easily forget how to live in your own body, you can even forget the face of your allies. Furthermore, the longer it takes for you to return to your normal state, the greater the exhaustion you'll feel afterwards, your life could be even at stake."_

With the warm reminder she smiled in her mind, and let her name- all of her names- fall off. She was not Cheshire, Aisha, Grinner or Malchance now; she became a creature with no name nor past or future. She was there, but _wasn't_ there.

Silently as usual, she moved through the first nineteen poses of the Dance of Leaves, an exercise meant to improve her flexibility in which she was required to twist and bend her own body like she had no bones, curving her own spine at almost a breaking point, balancing her weight and lifting her legs; turning in the wind just like the leaves do in Autumn.

The Twentieth pose, the Arching Willow.

Twenty-one, Balancing Apples.

Twenty-two, the Waterfall.

Now, the final pose, the twenty-third pose.

Cheshire made a perfect handstand, her whole body curiously still. Then, she performed an even split, both her legs creating a ninety-degree angle with her sides. Then she arched her back, making it so that her feet- her legs closer to each other- almost touched the ground. Almost. She had to balance her weight in a pose that voided her form any equilibrium whatsoever, and maintain like that for as long as she could.

Two minutes... Five... Ten...

_Crack_.

Ah, right. She had been performing her training on the very own edge of a cliff. A tall one. And apparently, not very stable.

Cheshire snapped out of the mental stated she had submerged herself into when she realised she was falling, because she _was_ falling, falling, falling...

Ah, gravity, her arch-nemesis.

She casted a glance below and discovered a river. Good. She was too tired to even attempt at vanishing, too tired to try to stop the fall, too tired to stop her consciousness from slipping away...

No, no, she had to stay awake.

The girl finally dived into the water, ignoring the sting on her skin upon breaking the liquid surface. She allowed herself sink to the bottom, and then she swam back to the surface. The current was slow but steady, and she was too tired to walk anyway...

She let the river take her wherever it wanted to, her body limp and relaxed, lying on her back to be able to breathe.

Cheshire did a mental calculation from her current position in the world; if she wasn't wrong there was the high chance that this river flowed into the one that neared Konohagakure, forty or so kilometres away.

She smiled, thankful.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**And therefore, with a sharp turn I find myself colliding with chapter twelve, instead of studying for my literature final exam. Cortázar and Borges can wait, Cheshire calls me right now.**

**...Ah, shame on me, procrastinating my duties.  
**

* * *

Water felt always comforting to her, she liked the way the liquid held her weight and soother her wounds and aches. She enjoyed turning around in the water, playing with fish and turtles and trying to discover the hidden treasures deep under the surface. Cheshire swam slowly, taking her time to appreciate everything, with her dark hair floating around her like a halo.

Swimming in steady rivers she felt at peace.

Unlike the love- hate relationship she maintained with forests, she had always considered rivers her allies, in them she felt that for a while, for a few minutes at least, she could lick her wounds and wait for as long as she could; she felt like she had some _time_ to spare and do nothing instead of keep on running everywhere.

A couple of hours later she found out she had been right about the river's course, and that indeed it led to the water stream near Konohagakure. Ah, she thought she was lucky, now the only thing she needed to do was find something to eat- she remembered she hadn't eaten anything since the day before- and she would be a happy, happy girl.

Cheshire stirred in the water and stood up; the river was significantly less deep now, the water arrived only to her waist. She heard a loud sound on the distance, and looked at the sky suppressing an exclamation.

There was a _toad_ jumping so high it was almost flying. A _giant toad_. As in as big as a big house. And there was an orange and yellow blur trying to grasp onto the toad's back that looked very much alike to Naruto.

Naruto was holding onto the back of a giant jumping toad.

Cheshire blinked and sighed, with a smile on her face; that boy never ceased to amaze her. She got out of the river and straightened her hair a little bit, just to get it out of the way. If she wasn't wrong- and she was never wrong about distances or how many sugar spoons a cup of tea needed- the village was still a kilometre or so away. With light steps and a rhyme on her head she started walking towards the place.

* * *

"Good evening gentlemen, isn't it an outstanding day to play chess?" The girl saluted both ninja in charge of guarding the gates.

The men looked at her curiously. She was dripping wet, her dress clinging to her body and highlighting her thin frame; her hair even darker and longer, plastered to her skull in a messy way. Hadn't been for her big shiny eyes and the ever-present grin, she would have looked the perfect definition of misery.

"Why are you wet?" Kotetsu asked her, a disbelieving eyebrow raised.

"Ah, yes, that's what usually happens when one gets out of a river. The person gets wet most of times." Her grin stretched even more.

"...Why were you in a river?" Now it was Izumo's turn to question her.

"Oh, it wasn't my intention at all- not that I didn't enjoyed it- you see, I fell into it."

The men looked at each other briefly and exchanged curious looks. They muttered an _'oh'_ in unison and let her pass through; they had already grew slightly more used to keeping these conversations with the girl every single time she entered the village- instead of miraculously appearing inside it some day- and they learnt it was no use to prone her for answers when she didn't want to give a straight one.

Cheshire nodded her head in goodbye, remaining always tranquil and polite, and started walking towards the nearest food stall; with some good luck she might even find her blonde friend in there, if he had already finished jumping around with the gigantic toad, that's it.

* * *

Shikamaru had gone to the hospital in a show of friendship to visit his fallen comrade- even if he had fallen due to indigestion. That meant that he actually stopped doing what he was doing- in another words; _nothing_- to pay a visit to Choji. He actually _had_ to drag himself out of his bed, and _even_ got out of his way to buy some food for his friend. Such a waste that he couldn't eat it after all.

He was pissed off, of course, and Choji just wouldn't stop whining about how hungry he was and how mean was the doctor lady that separated him from his oh-so-loved food. Shikamaru was getting tired of it; he just wanted some peace and quiet so that he could practice some shogi, or at least listen to his _thoughts_, but that was an impossible thing in the room he was in.

Now that he thought about it... Hadn't been Naruto out cold for three days already? Yes, he supposed he could go to his room- not much of a walk fortunately- and he could find some quietness in there. What's better than an unconscious kid to keep silence?

He bid a half-hearted goodbye at Choji and exited the room, then he walked down the left hallway and entered through the third door on the left, if his memory didn't fail him- and it never did- then that was the blonde's room.

However, when he entered he was surprised to find another figure apart from Naruto's sleeping form. There was a girl sitting on a chair next to the bed; she had her arms crossed over her chest, and seemed to be sleeping, or at least deep in thought.

"Hello" She spoke without looking up to him "Your name was Shikamaru, right?"

He looked at her, and sat on the chair at the other side of the bed, just in front of the girl.

"I am. I've seen you around, but I don't know your name." He stated, already starting to get bored.

"Name? Oh, you can call me Cheshire. Or just Chesh." She looked at him with a slightly too wide smile.

"That's a weird name."

"A weird name suits a weird girl, I like to think. Does it sound logical?" She asked.

He just shrugged.

"I suppose. What are you doing here anyway?"

"To be honest, nothing. Not a thing. Just sitting and waiting and watching time pass by while this wonderful blonde toad-tamer" she gestured at Naruto "Is laying there enjoying his nap. You're welcomed to join me in my lack of doing something if it's your desire. Or you can choose not to join me in _my_ lack of activity, but create your own. Whatever you want."

He just nodded, without answering her with words. Well... At least she wasn't loud or obnoxious like most people around him seemed to be, even if he found her a little odd. Perhaps he would be still able to relax a bit and play shogi with himself. He settled down the board on a stool, and placed the different pieces in position. Then he took out the hourglass he had brought and started to think about new strategies to win no matter what the opponent's moves turned out to be.

"Pardon my interruption, but what's that?" Cheshire said curiously.

Ah, so silence couldn't last long.

What a drag.

"If you're talking about the game; it's called shogi" He explained "Have you never heard of it?"

"Surprisingly, no; but it looks familiar. Do you know chess? It's a board game played in the west and north, it might be a distant cousin of your shogi."

"Never heard of it. What are the rules?" He asked, perhaps he would learn something useful.

She proceeded to explain how the game was played- or at least the basic rules- and waited for him to say something.

"Yeah, it's similar to shogi. It might be interesting to play some day."

Cheshire smiled.

"Then I'll teach you some day" She told him.

Both fell silent for some minutes, not an awkward silence, but a calm, relaxing silence. Once again it was the girl who decided to break it.

"Why's a raven like a writing desk?" She suddenly asked.

Shikamaru ripped his eyes from the board game and looked at her. She was still there at her chair, with both arms crossed across her chest and her head slightly cocked to the side.

"What?" He said.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk? Do you know?"

"No."

"Then think about it." It was a gentle command.

He sighed and rubbed his head. It would seem that this Cheshire girl would not be satisfied until he answered, so he thought about the question for a while.

"Both have inky quills?" He attempted, not really into it.

"Yes! You're the first one to get it in three months! There are many possible answers to that one though, so it's actually pretty easy."

He smiled at himself, slightly proud.

"Okay, let's see about this one" She continued "What is greater than God and more evil than the devil? The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die."

Encouraged with his last succeed, this time his attention was slightly more caught by this girl talking. Once again he took his time to think about the answer.

"Nothing. Nothing is greater than God or more evil than the Devil, the poor have nothing; the rich need nothing, and if you eat nothing you'll eventually die." He said; a confident smirk on his face.

"Indeed. Do you have one?" Cheshire politely asked.

"I think I do. Let me think... What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?" He said, almost certain that she wouldn't be able to guess the right answer.

The girl closed her eyes for a moment, and he saw her repeat the riddle without any sound escaping from her lips. Finally, she opened her eyes once again with a huge smile that just didn't seem to be natural.

"It's a river." There was not uncertainty in her voice.

Shikamaru hummed appreciatively, she seemed to be smarter than what she looked like. Perhaps striking this conversation with her wasn't so bad after all, she was interesting enough. Cheshire looked at the ceiling with a distant look in her eyes, and then with a voice that sounded out from a fairy tale she said:

"This thing all things devours:  
Birds, trees, beasts, flowers;  
Gnaws iron, bites steel;  
Grinds hard stones to meal;  
Slays kings, ruins town,  
And beats high mountains down..."

The boy looked at her, impressed more by the change on her attitude than by the riddle itself. He opened his mouth to talk, but at that moment Naruto stirred on the bed, stealing the girl's attention.

"Where am I? What is this?" The blonde murmured with his sleepy voice.

"The hospital. Your frog jumps- pun unintended, of course- apparently left you out cold. For three days." Cheshire calmly answered him.

"Three days...? THREE DAYS STRAIGHT?" He jumped up and started panicking "Wait! Shikamaru!" Naruto looked at him "When does the final competition begins?!"

"Uhh..." He seemed taken aback by his sudden burst of energy "...Tomorrow."

"WHAT? Are you crazy, why didn't you wake me up sooner?! I CAN'T BE LYING AROUND; I NEED TO BE GETTING READY! WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES...?"

Shikamaru sighed.

"Man, I liked him better when he was sleeping..." He mumbled.

Cheshire simply smiled.

"Now listen!" The black haired boy said to Naruto "You don't want to be freaking out the day before a big competition. Resting can be the _best_ thing."

Naruto suddenly stopped panicking around a sat down on the bed.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?" Cheshire cautiously asked him

Ah. So he was _hungry_. Luckily Shikamaru still had the food Choji couldn't eat, and he offered some to the blonde. However, before taking a bite of his apple, Naruto stopped abruptly, like he had just remembered something. He then giggled a short evil laugh.

"Hey, let's eat in front of Choji! That'll drive him crazy!" He stated.

"Man, that's mean." Shikamaru said "I like it."

Cheshire simply shook her head at the blonde's antics, and grabbed some grapes from the basket.

"Hey... Naruto, Shikamaru..." She started saying, suddenly remembering something "Does anyone of you know how is Lee doing?"

* * *

Something was wrong. Malchance mentally slapped herself. It was wrong for her to catch up so much that she wasn't able to realise what was going on around.

What an extremely good thing that Shikamaru had both the Shadow Possession Jutsu and the lighting reflexes that made him react as soon as he saw what was going on. Cheshire had been the last one to enter the room, and she finally had understood why she felt so cold and uneasy and _sad_ all of the sudden.

There, all red and sand and bloodlust, standing right next to Lee's bed, with an outstretched hand- most likely to strike a fatal blow- Gaara stood. He couldn't move for now, but still he looked so agitated...

So many things were so _wrong_.

Naruto suddenly punched the redhead, fuelled by rage.

"What the heck are you doing here, rat?!" The blonde cried, ignoring Shikamaru's complaint that since he was controlling Gaara's body with his jutsu, he felt the blow too.

Cheshire stood in the back, all eyes and ears open.

"What were you trying to pull?" Naruto pressed.

"...I was going to kill him."

He was terrifyingly calm. _Too_ calm. It was _unnatural_.

"I have nothing against him. I simply wanna kill him, that's all."

Cheshire was taken aback. To kill just because? With no real purpose, nor necessity? Killing for the joy of killing was _bad_, to end a life only because he _could_... No. _Bad_.

"You think we're gonna stand by and let you do whatever you want? You sick psycho..." Shikamaru said.

"If you don't stay out of my way I'll have to kill you two as well." Gaara replied.

No, definitely it wasn't natural to speak like that. Cheshire looked at him, opened her mouth to talk... then closed it again.

"OH YEAH? Why don't we see you trying?!" Naruto obviously didn't try to cover his anger.

Fortunately Shikamaru stopped him before the blonde did anything _too_ stupid. Then he used that apparently big brain of his to try to find an easy way out of the situation, to tell Gaara off without having to fight. Cheshire was certainly impressed. Naruto, on the other hand...

"Back off! He fights like he's mad, like a Demon or something!" The black haired boy told the blonde, forcing him to stop on his tracks.

Ah.

Cheshire listened to the tale the redhead was telling, she listened his words; how a Demon- Shukaku, Ichibi, the one-tailed Demon- was trapped into his body before his birth, how he was supposed to become nothing more than a mere weapon, an artefact to protect the Sand Village.

She listened to the way his childhood was not what one would call a happy one, to the way people rejected him and feared him; how he was a stranger to the word 'love', but instead a deeply knower of hate and madness. When he was six- and already having killed- his very own father had tried to end with his life.

"Those who become too strong are apt to become feared" He said.

Indeed. Cheshire reckoned he was right with that.

"In order to live you need a purpose. To exist for no reason... It's the same as being dead." His words were cold.

Cheshire looked at Naruto before her, and noticed he was trembling. Of course, he saw himself reflected on Gaara, and that was more than enough reason for anyone to star shaking in despair. She looked again at the redhead, he was still talking.

"I love only myself... Now it's the death of others that sustain me. As long as there are people to kill, I will never disappear."

To kill in order to live...

She made sure the Shadow Possession Jutsu was still active, and then with resolved steps she neared Gaara. She encircled him, slowly, taking him in fully with her eyes, measuring him, like the experienced wolf does with a deer.

Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot...

She described three full circles in silence before stopping right in front of him. With caution and the softness of a feather, she took his face into both her hands, forcing him to look at her in the eye.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"Looking." She answered simply.

Ah yes, there was the madness as usual gripping into the edge of his irises, she could clearly make out the claws and teeth that tempted him to be drove to the edge and never return. She could see the Demon inside him, and she looked at it without flinching. She _tsk'ed_, apparently annoyed by something, then she let go of his face.

How long had it been since the last time she saw such a tormented, broken soul? She made the calculations fast enough. Exactly six years, when a girl in a white dress was standing covered in blood...

No, focus on the present. Do _not_ go in there.

"You can't actually sleep, can you?" She asked in a soothing voice.

"What?"

"It's a simple question, with a simple answer. You can't actually sleep, can you?"

"No."

She made a grimace, and shivered subconsciously.

"Yeah, thought so. Madness usually likes to come up at night; she enjoys depriving humans from sleep. Demons like that too, those sly creatures." She knew she was on dangerous terrain now "But the real question is; why do you let it haunt you...?"

One step too far as usual, silly Cheshire. Sand erupted everywhere, despite the redhead's impassive appearance. She saw the madness even more real, more _tangible_, his eyes filling with rage and bloodlust. Oh dear, this certainly was a big trouble.

"Enough! Save till tomorrow." Ah, Gai, always appearing on the right spot.

Cheshire shot him a thankful smile, and then focused her attention on Gaara once again. He was shaking, grabbing his own head; she could practically _see_ all the torture he was being exposed at in his own brain, his breathing ragged, his inner balance about to collapse...

The sand retreated and he exited the room.

"All the same I will kill you, just you wait. I will kill you all."

* * *

"Why are you following me?" Gaara asked her with his cold, monotone voice.

Cheshire stopped walking- she was about ten steps behind him- and smiled at his back, but said nothing.

"I can kill you." He told her.

"Oh, I know. You tried once before, don't think I forgot that. My ribs still throb once in a while, you know." She replied in a quiet voice.

The boy turned around and looked at her, trying to stare her into submission.

"Aren't you afraid?" He asked.

Cheshire shrugged.

"Not really. Seen one Demon, seen them all, there's not much difference into their behaviour really. For creatures who claim to be so _powerful_, they can be so dull at times... But I'm rambling. No, I'm not scared of you. Don't get me wrong, I _know_ you can kill me... I just stopped fearing death a long time ago. You certainly make me uneasy though, but I guess that's because our natures naturally- pardon the redundancy- are somewhat opposed."

She looked down, and seemed to think for some seconds.

"Those who become too strong are apt to become feared... That's what you said, right?" She asked him.

"Yes."

"I hope you know you're right with that. More right than you can even imagine... They try to control what they think it's powerful, they fear what they can't control, and they hunt down what they fear... It's imbedded in human nature. And it comes a time when they change their views on you so much that even you change... And your name fades away, and a thousand different names come up that define you and at the same time they don't... But that's the fun of it, let them think whatever they want and play the role they want you to play. Be the merciless assassin, be the dark creature, be the harsh judge or the shield or the memory or the gentle solace. Learn how to act, and let them think they're right for as long as you want to, then run before they can ask too many questions. And then you're alone with yourself, and those thousand different names that belong to you, but you forgot your own name..." She looked at the sky, her mind travelling great distances to the End of the World...

"How can one forget his own name?" Gaara questioned her.

"It happens. It happened to me. Not really, I mean... I know how it's written; I know how it's pronounced, it starts with an 'R' actually, but... It doesn't sounds like mine anymore. So my tongue forgot how to say it, and therefore, I don't say it."

The boy looked at her long and hard, probably trying to guess if she was speaking the truth. What was the reason for this petite girl to keep insisting on communicating with him in some way or another?

"I tried to kill you once. Why do you keep coming around? Why do you present yourself in such a... peaceful way? What's your purpuse?" He asked, genuinely curious about the answer.

"First of all it's because of a selfish reason; I'm curious about you. And it's also because... I don't know" She shrugged "There's just something about you that makes me want to be near you. Perhaps it's the fact that you've been taught everything just _upside down_ and you've lost the north. I've told you already, what defines us is not what we've been given, but the choices we take, the path we forge ourselves."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you've been given a Demon and I've been given blood and heritage. However, as my lovely scar shows" She gestured towards her face "Blood and heritage means nothing when you become a numb, blind beast. I don't know, if that means nothing, perhaps a Demon can mean nothing too. Just a thought to ponder about."

And she disappeared, because she had been raised smart enough to know when a cornered animal is about to attack.

* * *

**And that was it for now, hope you enjoyed :)**

**Oh, by the way, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" is a riddle created by Lewis Caroll, and featured in his book 'Alice in Wonderland'. The riddle was initially supposed to have no real answer, though finally Caroll provided one (google it to know more) There are many answers around, the most populars being 'Both have inky quills' and 'Poe wrote on both' (as in reference to 'The raven', by Edgar Allan Poe). Just an interesting fact.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ladies and gentlemen, chapter thirteen. By the way, for those who are interested, I've linked a quick drawing of Chesh I did today in my profile, go check it out if you want and tell me if that's the way you pictured her (or not).**

* * *

Naruto hadn't been able to sleep for a while. It was very well past midnight, and he was still lying awake on his bed, unable to get the rest he needed for the next day.

_Neji._

He actually had to fight him, and not only that, but also on the very first match. And now he was starting to feel slightly... nervous.

What if he couldn't beat him? Then he wouldn't become a Chunin, and his dream of becoming Hokage would seem farther away... He had vowed to defeat the Hyuga, not only for himself, but also for Hinata...

It had been Bushy brow's dream to defeat Neji too, and now it was most likely that he would never be able to even fight him, so it was Naruto's duty to fight in his name too... He couldn't _lose;_ he had to win for _them_.

If he lost then he would let them down; and certainly as it was he could _not_ let that happen. No, no, he was _not_ going to lose, he was going to defeat Neji- in an outstanding way, mind you- and everybody would cheer for him in his victory. He would look at the crowd and he would see Sakura- oh, always so pretty...- laughing and smiling at him and she would finally realise how amazing and strong he was; he would see Sasuke's face burning with envy because Naruto surpassed him on every known level, he would see the old Hokage with his mouth opened in awe and he would pass the title of Hokage onto him immediately, he would see Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei both looking proud and marvelled, and maybe even Cheshire in the front row with one of her wicked smiles and clapping at his awesomeness. Yes, it was probably going to be like that.

But if he lost...

No. He _could not_ lose.

Naruto turned in his bed and kicked his sheets. He was certain now that he wasn't going to get any sleep this night. He sighed, frustrated, and allowed his mind to wander.

He thought about all the training he had done in the past month and on his new sensei, Jiraya undoubtedly seemed really strong- leaving aside his pervert personality, of course. He had put him through hard training, he ended up exhausted, in the _hospital_, but he was able to summon that giant chief toad! That _had_ to be a major improvement, right? Yes, he woke up at a hospital bed feeling like crap, but at least there had been Shikamaru with food- oh that boy be blessed- and Cheshire with her silent presence next to his bed.

Naruto realised something and he furrowed his brow, thinking.

Shikamaru had told him he was in his room because he had gone to pay Choji a visit and he was around... Plus, when he woke up he had been practicing shoji, so probably there was a higher chance that he was there to get some time alone than to actually visit him. They were good friends, but not _that_ close.

But Cheshire... The girl had been there, doing nothing, just waiting. Had she been waiting for him to wake up? And if that was the case, why?

He thought about what he knew about her, and felt frustrated that it was basically nothing. She was from a faraway place, and she had an accent. She liked to travel a lot, and did _not_ like to be told when she could leave and when she couldn't. She was smart, and had a talent for knowing when people were feeling bad- when _he_ was feeling bad. She meditated _a lot_, and she was always so gentle with everybody; even if he had no idea what she meant half the time, Cheshire had been always _nice_ from the first time they had talked...

Why?

Suddenly, with no sound at all, the girl that had been roaming his thoughts was there, in his room; standing by the window, looking like an apparition, with a wild smile and her hair messy and tangled with leaves creating an outstanding contrast with her pale face.

Naruto straightened himself, startled.

"Cheshire! What are you doing here?!" He asked, whatever little sleep he had fading away instantly.

"Good night there, what can I do for you?" She just said casually, like she hadn't appeared in his house in the middle of the night.

"What do you mean? It was _you_ the one that came into here!"

The girl shrugged.

"Yeah, but you called me." She sat cross-legged at the end of his bed.

"What...? I didn't do anything..." He blinked, confused.

"Perhaps not out loud, but you were thinking of me, am I right?"

"Well, yeah but... How do you know? Are you a psychic or something Chesh?"

The girl snickered.

"No, nothing like that. I was around- to be clearer taking a walk on the roofs, so I was directly above you- and I felt it. That somebody was thinking of me, that's it. So I followed my instincts and voilá, here I am." She smiled.

"Can you tell when somebody's _thinking_ of you?" His eyes were wide open.

"If I am performing my Spiritual Empathy. And if I am close, _really_ close. Also it helps that if I actually _know_ the person. So you see, there are a lot of conditioning factors that by luck got together now. Usually, I can't actually tell specific things like that, I only get more... umm, ah, how to say it? Feelings, maybe?"

"Like what happened when Lee fought Gaara?"

"Exactly, like that. Or the way I can tell people's emotions and stuff like that"

"Oh." He felt silent.

"Why aren't you asleep anyway?"

He looked down, but said nothing.

"Ah, I see. Don't worry; I've got faith in you. I know you can beat Neji." She smiled at him, an honest smile this time.

"You really think so?" His eyes shined.

"Yes, in fact I would place a bet on your winning. But I don't gamble, so I won't."

Both fell silent for a couple seconds. Cheshire looked at him, and saw he still had doubts about himself. She sighed, ah, the things she did for friends...

"Hey, I'll tell you what" She started "If you drop that pouty face, I'll grant you three questions for free. That means you can ask me anything you want, and I'll answer. If the questions are interesting enough, that's it."

Naruto's face suddenly changed, and he smiled, with hope.

"Are you serious?" He asked, still disbelieving.

"As serious as a bear about his sleeping habits." She grinned.

"Cool! Okay, let me think about the questions then!"

He crossed his arms and lowered his head, trying to focus on his new task.

What to ask, what to ask... There were so many questions flying around his head... Ah, but yes, of course, first things first.

"Okay, where were you _really_ born?" He said, looking at her intently.

The girl simply rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, that's not interesting at all. Oh, don't look at me like that, you can do better than that, I know. Ask something else. And _no_, my name it's not interesting either."

"Jeez, you're complicated. _Fine_" He seemed to remember something "Why are you so kind? I mean, you were nice to me from the first time, and you knew most people avoided me. Yesterday you were even gentle with _Gaara_. Why?"

Cheshire chuckled.

"Now _that's _a good question. Kindness towards a stranger it's such a rare gift among mankind nowadays...I'm always the stranger everywhere, I know very well about that subject. That's why I share kindness with the people I don't know." She shrugged "I don't know, it just seems like a nice thing to do."

Naruto smiled at the girl. Even if she was strange, even if he had next to none idea who she was, even if she sometimes gave him the creeps with those too-wide smiles, she was a good girl, a good friend. Had he ever met a person like Cheshire? A person who enjoyed living free and travelling, who spoke in riddles and _observed_ all around her? No... She was definitely something else. It was at that moment that he decided that keeping their friendship was a valuable thing to do.

"How many places have you visited?" Was his second question, not particularly deep, but he was curious.

"Many. Many more than just 'many'. I've been in mountains and deserts, in forests and cities and castles, underground and behind waterfalls... I've been everywhere. And I've still have loads of places to know... You know, perhaps someday you could come with me. I happen to know this wonderful place where they make the tastiest desserts I've ever had."

"Perhaps... once I pass through this exam!" Naruto replied.

"Heh, that's the spirit. I like you more when you're happy, you have a shiny smile. But I am rambling, you have one question left."

He nodded. Only one question left, what could he ask her now? He looked at her trying to gather inspiration... Ah, right. He had never attempted to ask her about it, but perhaps now he could...

"How did you got that scar on your face, Chesh?"

The girl smiled a sad smile, and she looked through the window, her gaze travelling miles and miles away... But she had been asked a question, hadn't she?

"Tough love you could call it. A sensei I had some time ago did it; it was to teach me humility and avoid me to sin of pride. It's a reminder that I should _not_ think more highly of myself than of a simple butterfly, it's a reminder that blood and heritage can mean nothing if you become a blind and senseless beast; it's a reminder of what I should never do..." She trailed off, like she didn't know how to go on.

"Wait, what? A sensei you had _hurt _you? But, that doesn't make sense!"

"Ah, but we started with the wrong foot, him and I. I actually tried to kill him, you know..."

"...Why?"

Cheshire shrugged.

"I was angry and cornered, and we crossed paths. That's all I'll say about the subject, don't ask me further questions."

Naruto nodded looking at her. He knew she could be harsh sometimes, when somebody touched a sensitive subject, but it was a rare thing; at least he had never seen her actually _angry_. But to imagine her wanting to kill a man, and that she admitted it so nonchalantly... It was weird to think of her that way. There were so many things he did not know about this girl...

"Hey, it's really late. You should get some sleep, Naruto."

"To be honest, I don't think I can."

Of course he couldn't now he just had more things on his head to think about.

"That can be fixed easily, lie down and close your eyes." She told him, her voice ever so gentle.

"Why?"

"Trust me, just do it."

He did as told and waited for something to happen. It started low, almost imperceptible, like a low humming in the distance... then her voice rose, playing with high notes like raindrops falling on metal, it felt like a being carried by a slow fresh river, like seeing the sunshine peek through moving leaves in a forest. He couldn't make out any of the words, or if she was saying any words at all, Naruto felt sleepy, so sleepy; his room filled with the scent of cherries and the wind, and his consciousness started to drift away...

Cheshire stopped singing and looked at the sleeping boy. It would appear that her mother's lullabies still had that effect on everybody. She smiled to herself, and ethereal as always she vanished away.

* * *

It was getting late. She did _not_ like when things got late. Where were they anyway? From her seat on the front row she looked below at the arena. Sasuke was missing, that guy from the sound village too; and even Naruto. She furrowed her brows and sighed.

"You seem unhappy little lady." Said a voice on her left.

She looked at her side and discovered a man all covered in a brown coat with a hood; his face was hidden by a dark green mask not very unlike Kakashi's, leaving only a pair of sharp eyes as his recognisable features.

"No, sir, it's just that it's late and some of my friends are missing." She replied with a smile.

"Ah, I see. I assumed that perhaps you did not enjoy this sort of competitions." He said with a warm voice. Cheshire liked his voice.

"No, no, I like them. Plus, it's a time of celebration for all the village, people from all over the world come to watch. I like that."

"Indeed, people from very faraway places come to observe. It's a nice thing; it gives the perfect excuse to visit family that you haven't seen in long time."

The girl smiled at him, a smile that lasted a little bit too long.

"Yeah, it does."

She looked down for some moments, and suppressed a laugh when Naruto entered- skidded- into the arena. At least he knew how to make an entrance to gather everybody's attention.

"Is that one of your friends?" The man asked.

"Yes, he is."

"He seems... ah, nice."

"That's one way to put it, yes."

"But look, don't listen to this man ramble, it seems like the whole thing is about to begin."

Cheshire leaned forward and licked her lips. Yes, the whole thing was about to begin. She looked first at Neji- stern as ever, did he ever smiled? - And then at Naruto- with renewed confidence- and she felt the eagerness into her body. Finally, the last part of the exams were about to start.

* * *

**That's all for now; off I go to study for my Chemistry final exam...which means that probably I'm going to end up listening to Coldplay laying on my bed.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Fiiiiinally my final exams are over, and I've got enough time to sit down to write. I'm a happy person. Anyway, short chapter, but I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Cheshire sighed. She certainly did _not_ like when people were late.

Where on the whole Earth was Sasuke? His fight was supposed to start, yet he had the impoliteness of not being around. Ah, Cheshire did _not_ like when people was late.

She stretched her arms over her head and closed her eyes. Fair enough, if she had a couple of minutes for herself- a rare occurrence, mind you- she could very well spend them thinking about the fights that had already happened.

Naruto and Neji. She smiled, feeling her heart warm up. At first it looked like Neji could not be beaten, he was all precision and fate and _power_; but then again, Naruto had been training _hard_. And he won at the end, earning cheers from the audience and a high-pitched whistle from the girl sitting on the front row who sported that feral grin. Cheshire had slapped herself- mentally, of course- when she heard Neji's story. Well, she had thought _he_ was fucked up, but it would seem that it hadn't been his fault. The whole Hyuuga family was _fucked up_. To kill an innocent man just to protect the main branch? Ah, that sounded along the lines of those old kingdoms from centuries ago that were reigned by an authoritarian leader, who looked at his subjects as mere pawns in display for his game: all instruments, all completely replaceable. Something in the back of her head- that little voice she called conscience from time to time- told her that probably there was more to the story; and reminded her that she only had heard Neji's version. Every coin has two sides, she agreed with herself.

She grunted. That's why communication and understanding was an important thing in the family- and of course, in life in general.

She had bitten her lip so hard it bled, but she paid no attention to the pain; it was her fault for judging Neji too fast. In her own defence, on the other hand, he _could_ have chosen to believe other beliefs, instead of generating so much resent towards his own family- especially towards his cousin who Cheshire was certain could not kick a puppy for the sake of her life. Yes, he _could_ have chosen another thing, instead of caging his path because he had been told so. And even if at the end she was _certain_ Naruto had given him a lesson- in more than one way- he still looked stern.

_Naruto_.

Cheshire smiled with her eyes closed. That boy could probably convince a bear to hang from the trees at night and eat bugs like a bat. It never ceased amazing her the extent of what his burning will and personality could achieve. He _should_ have been born with a crown on his head instead of a Demon inside; he could probably wear the crown better than half the people that actually wore one. Then again, perhaps he would be overwhelmed with the pressure...

Cheshire shook her head.

No, no, leave crowns to kings, and leave this wonderful knucklehead free of those terrible responsibilities. Well, he _wanted_ to be Hokage, so perhaps, in some years, he would actually wear a crown, and only perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for him. But Cheshire was rambling, even if it was only in her mind.

Shikamaru and Temari's fight had been equally interesting- even if a little less intense, of course- and most people had been really surprised- and disappointed- when the raven haired boy surrendered before almost beating his opponent. Cheshire had grinned at this, a grin that showed off her white pointy teeth. Ah, but he had _logic_, and a deeper understanding of the situations he stumbled upon. Wise thing to do, to stop when the wounds were too many to be licked all at the same time. She had heard the man at her left chuckle at Shikamaru, and mumble something about 'being too damn smart for his well-being'; she could not agree more with him. She had caught Shikamaru's eye when he was returning from the arena, and nodded at him in signal of respect. He simply shrugged it off nonchalantly, at which Cheshire only smiled broader.

But she was not smiling now, she was with her eyes closed, thinking and waiting. It wasn't that she had not much patience- because she had _a lot_ of patience- it was simply a matter of rudeness to keep people waiting like that. Unless they were kept waiting because it was not the time for things to happen yet, and people merely confused swiftness with eagerness. That happened to her, a lot. Being blamed for being late when she was just _right_ on time. She huffed. People were people after all.

Suddenly, with a swirling of leaves and wind and an _oh-so-amazing_ entrance, Sasuke and Kakashi were standing in the middle of the arena. Just in time, it would appear. Ah, so the jonin had the guts to arrive late even for _this_; Cheshire smiled, she was certainly attached to him in more than one way, she owed him, just to start with. And he made a really good talking partner.

The girl licked her lips in anticipation and made a mental note to _not_ extend her chakra just to feel more the fight; as it was, she could already feel the tension and deep rumble of the awakening battling souls. She felt Sasuke's _dark _presence, always thick and disturbed; she felt something stir inside of Gaara, a deep, twisted voice- Shukaku- that taunted him. At her side, she barely noticed the man faintly lean forward, trying to capture the match on its full.

And it started before she could even realise so.

All so fast, all so intense, all so _powerful_, she actually had to remind herself to breathe occasionally to avoid dying of suffocation. For some seconds she forgot who she was, she was so intently focused on following Sasuke's incredible speed and Gaara's lethal sand.

At some moment, she saw the redhead form a sand sphere around himself, protecting him- and probably helping him prepare for _something_. Her ears picked up Naruto's voice, shouting something a few rows behind her, near Sakura and Ino, but her main focus was far from her blonde friend at the time.

She observed the raven haired boy use his chakra to step on a wall, prepare himself, and accumulate the needed energy...

The _chidori_. So _that's_ why he arrived late. Kakashi taught him the _chidori_. His own personal technique- probably the only one that he hadn't copied- Cheshire had become familiar with it during her first months in Konoha, in which she was more often than not accompanying Kakashi and watching him train. He hadn't had a particular interest on teaching the girl the technique, but she had learnt the theory and watched the jutsu and its results a couple of times. She whistled, impressed; it was certainly amazing that Sasuke had mastered it in only a month. He was indeed a genius, she decided.

Sasuke ran along the wall and kept on racing towards the sand sphere that enclosed Gaara...

Silence. Sasuke stood there, his hand breaking through the sand barrier in his attack. The chidori was something to watch out, definitely.

Cheshire felt her blood pulsing in her ears, because something was _wrong_, very, very _wrong_. She heard in the wind the distinctive drums of war that announced the changing tides, she felt the time pass more slowly and the floor vibrate under her light feet. No, no, no, please _don't_, please don't let it...

"AAAHH! BLOOD! IT'S MY BLOOD!" Emerged the shrieking cry from inside the sand sphere.

Automatically Cheshire covered her sensitive ears; _too much_, and she wasn't even making attempt to connect with anything, still she _felt_ it, the fear, the pain, the _blood_, the change, the _madness_, it was all there around her, running through her very own veins as if it was hers even if it was _his_. A little portion of herself- not Malchance, certainly not her- felt sorry for Gaara; having never being hurt before left him in a state of panic, his frightened mind too shocked and scared to think or breathe or even _try_ to stop the Demon from showing its face...

He succumbed. To madness, that's it. He gave up and allowed the dark creature to take over, and Cheshire knew it even before she saw Sasuke retreat his hand from the sand and a monstrous hand was visible. She tasted bitterness at the back of her throat, and swallowed, in fascination, curiosity and nervousness. The sand slowly fell down, and there was the redhead standing, breathing hard and clutching his bloodied shoulder. He had lost. He had lost to himself- to the creature inside of him.

Suddenly, everything started to feel fuzzy and slow, and were those feathers falling from the sky? She looked closely, ignoring the urge of cuddling somewhere warm and drift off to sleep. Then it clicked on her head; a genjutsu. She thanked her father for teaching her the value of a well-trained pair of eyes- eyes trained to look deeper than the surface, to recognise hidden paths and invisible threads- and forced herself to snap out of the mirage. Looking around, she saw most people were asleep already; she distinguished Kakashi and Gai awake, and so Sakura, along with the Anbu shinobi and some other jonin- besides the Kages of course. Apparently at some point during the fight, the man sitting next to her had stood up and went away- she vaguely recalled him telling her he was going to the toilet or something like that, but she had paid no attention to him at the moment. At any rate...

What the Hell was going on?

A smoke bomb exploded where the Kages were standing, and all Hell broke loose. Around herself she heard the fighting, ninjas appearing out of thin air to attack the Leaf Village.

_Treason._

Malchance's stomach flipped and she felt like throwing up. It was backstabbing, betrayal, loyalties being trade for power. Stupid, foolish blind humans that seemed to _never_ learn. Cheshire shut her up, because with her constant complaints she was having trouble hearing her own thoughts. The girl turned around, and watched Gai and Kakashi being surrounded by Sound ninjas, but her attention was stolen by Temari's scream, down in the arena.

"Gaara! Stop it!"

Cheshire instantly stood up and grabbed the railing with her hands, observing the scene below her: the three sand siblings and their sensei in front of a confused Sasuke and the exam proctor. Gaara was kneeling on the floor, grabbing his head so hard that it gave _her_ a migraine. Kankuro and Temari took Gaara away; and Sasuke followed them soon enough.

_Too_ many things to watch at the same time, _too _much information that she had to acquire all at once...

But first things first.

With the help of her breathing, she calmed herself and allowed her name to slip off her face. Goodbye to nice Chesh, goodbye to the girl that giggled and shrugged everything off. She became Malchance, observer and listener, Malchance the judge and harsh truth. And as Malchance, she foresaw her next move: _nothing_.

For now, this was _not_ her battle to fight; she may have been handed Konohagakure's headband, but she had no actual _obligations_ whatsoever to fight for this village. Meddling in between when she was supposed to be neutral, tipping the odds when she was the one that balanced everything... _no_.

At least for now, she would walk and wait and see.

And perhaps later she would act, but not now. The girl took a last look at Gai and Kakashi. Then she observed the barrier that surrounded the Hokage- being held captive by that Orochimaru man.

_Orochimaru. _The name tainted her tongue, making her feel nauseous.

Ah...

But if _he_ was behind this, maybe she could take participation after all. Later of course, now was too soon anyway. She heard Kakashi and Gai start fighting, and a twisted smirk climbed upon her lips.

Unseen by many, she glided across the floor following the direction the Sand siblings- and Sasuke- had went. Her steps were precise but slow, almost as if she was peacefully taking a walk in the park. At some point she vanished away, following her instincts to guide herself towards the object of her curiosity.

_Gaara_.

She was delighted for some odd reason. Perhaps it was the unmistakable feeling she got when she was about to learn something new. And if her instincts were right- they always were- then she _would_ learn many things.

_Gaara_.

She licked her lips, a haunting starving wolf with yellow eyes roaming the green of her irises.

* * *

**I know, too short and not particularly interesting; I know...**


	15. Chapter 15

**New chapter up! Woosh!**

* * *

Naruto woke up to the not-so-bothersome sight of Sakura; even if she looked disturbed, it was still a nice view to wake up at. His head was still fuzzy, what was going on? Why all those battle sounds around? He looked again at Sakura, and saw she was angry at Shikamaru for being able to release the genjutsu by himself, yet still pretend to be asleep. Man, he was certainly lazy.

A sound ninja stood behind him, no doubt in intent to attack, but Gai sensei swiftly came into rescue- breaking part of the wall in the process, of course. Then Kakashi sensei arrived, stood in front of them, and gave them orders.

"First, track down Sasuke and stop him. Then find a safe location and await further orders." The gray haired ninja said.

What? What was going on? What happened to Sasuke and those creepy sand ninjas? Why the Hell was everything submerged in such a chaos?

"Oh" Kakashi seemed to suddenly remember something, his gaze directed towards one of the front rows "If things somehow get out of hand, ask Cheshire to repay old debts in my name. She'll understand, and can be of help to you."

Cheshire? What?

"What? Why is Cheshire mingled in this?" Sakura asked the man "And what if she's not around?"

"Sakura. She's _always_ watching, even if you can't see her. Now go!"

Naruto was still confused, so many questions to ask, so many things to say... Sakura dragged him through the hole in the wall anyway, and they started their chase.

Soon enough the pink haired kunoichi filled them both with the information on the recent events; an attack? Gaara got away? Sasuke chased them? Woah... a lot of things have happened when he was out cold...

And, they were guided by a dog. A small one. A _very_ small dog. Well, he hoped at least the animal- Pakkun, Kakashi named him- had a well-enough sense of smell, or they would be completely lost.

"...Why did you have to pull me into this anyway...?" Shikamaru complained.

"It can't be helped, okay? It's Kakashi sensei's orders!" Sakura replied.

"Hey" Naruto said to both of them "And what about the weird thing he said 'bout Chesh anyway, huh? About 'old debts' and she being of help and all that?"

Sakura fell silent in thought.

"You _did_ realise there's _something_ about that girl, right?" Shikamaru asked him in a somewhat condescending tone.

"Of course, I mean, she's weird, she's Chesh." Duh. He had to be extra-stupid to not to notice that.

"No, I mean, besides her being weird, there's _something_ more to her, something she's not telling; something I assume Kakashi knows. Haven't you asked yourself why she travels that much, or where does she goes, or where does she come from?" The raven haired boy continued.

"Well, yeah, but she never told me..."

"Think about it, why would a person live like that? Yes, she might enjoy visiting different places but..." He shook his head "There might be _someone_ after her, she's on the run. Or something like that. The vague answers she gives; the lack of any exact personal information... Either something _bad_ happened to her, or she _did_ something bad, and now she's running away. Or both. And of course, there's the fact that she _always_ seems to _know_ things, things that she shouldn't know... I wonder how many secrets she hides..."

"Woah, wait. I don't think she did anything wrong, I mean, she can't be a missing nin or anything, I mean, I mean... She's _Cheshire_! She's _nice_!" Naruto defended her; he was her friend after all.

"I'm not saying she's a mass murder, you dimwit, so don't act as if I was attacking her. I like her actually; she's interesting enough, and not _too_ troublesome. I'm just saying that you should watch out for her, she might be dangerous or something. And Kakashi said to ask her to repay a debt to help, why wouldn't she help us by her own will if she's so _nice_?" Shikamaru grumbled, annoyed. "I'm just being cautious, that's all."

"Because she _can't_ help" Sakura said, snapping out of her reverie.

"Huh? What do you mean?" The blonde asked.

Sakura simply shrugged.

"I'm not sure. She told me that herself once, that she _couldn't_ help, it was weird; she said it almost as if she was not allowed to. Maybe she's not, for all that we know about her. It was when we were still in the Forest of Death, Naruto, you and Sasuke were unconscious after _that _fight. Apparently she had been watching everything, and appeared after things calmed down. She... uhh, _helped_ a little bit, in her own way. Gave me some 'advice' of sorts, and then she went away."

"What? Why didn't you say this before?" Naruto asked her, half curious half sulking. "Why didn't _she_ tell me before?"

"Sheesh, don't act like a kid. I don't know, I guess it felt like something a little bit personal or something. My point is, perhaps there's some reason why she wouldn't help with the attack; Kakashi seems to know her from a long time, so I guess that if he says she might help us, the she will."

"Hurry up! There are two squads behind us!" Pakkun said suddenly "Wait, no, there's one more! Nine ninja following us!"

* * *

They- meaning Naruto, Sakura, and the mutt- heard the explosions, and could only hope Sasuke was okay.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, had been left behind as a decoy- which had apparently succeeded, since Pakkun told them their chasers were no longer behind them.

* * *

Cheshire had been following both Sasuke and the sand siblings at her own pace, walking with light but slow steps among the highest branches of the trees. Sometimes, when she was left too behind, she would vanish ahead of Gaara and his relatives, and wait for them ahead. It was a thing she was naturally good at- waiting, that is. Even if she herself could not linger in a single place for too long, she was exceptionally skilled at waiting. Waiting for the people to understand, waiting for the seasons to pass... But always one step ahead of everything, if she was too behind, then would _lose_.

"_Patience, Aisha, patience. Time to time and ashes to ashes, you cannot escape the cage of time- I don't care how much you'd rather do it, you can't. Nobody can, and wishing so is both unnatural and foolish. But you can always be one step ahead, ahead of your enemies, ahead of yourself, try to guess everybody's next move and you'll win. Remain always one step ahead of everybody if you want to survive, and don't let them catch up to you. It's lonely, but it's the way I know to make a living in this twisted world. Plus, it gives you that air of mystery and confidence which will plant doubts and hesitations in your foes' minds; and that will certainly give you the upper hand. Remember this: It doesn't matter that you're not that strong, make your opponents believe you're invincible. You see, the human mind is a strong yet delicate object. I am sure your father already taught you this, so use it at your favour."_

It had been a good advice, so she always made sure to follow it; lonely Cheshire, always predicting outcomes and waiting for the others to catch up with her. It surely helped her survive long enough.

She smiled a twisted smile, and observed how below her, Sasuke arrived to the sand ninjas encounter. The fight between him and Temari- Kankuro had run away with Gaara, to continue protecting the redhead - had been short and intense. The blonde girl had yet to recover fully from her fight with Shikamaru.

Sasuke took off again, following his own prey, and so would Cheshire.

The girl mused to herself how it was interesting on how good of a hunter Sasuke ended up being, but he should be careful or he would get too caught into the thrill of the chase. If that happened, then he wouldn't turn into a Hunter, but a Killer, and that was _bad_. It was okay to hunt; but when one enjoyed _too much_ the hunt, when the expectation of bloodlust was the motive behind the chase... _no._

Besides, what was the _true_ reason behind this attack? Orochimaru...

He probably wanted something more than just to invade the Leaf Village. When she talked to him, she could feel the thread of life being stretched and twisted around him, he had been tampering with it, tampering until it had become unnatural and just _wrong_.

Malchance snarled, angered.

Trying to escape time was a foolish thing. If he was willing to risk everything, all what was _true_ and _right_ just for a stupid whim... If he was _too_ afraid of death that he managed to stumble upon things that have been put _away_ for a reason... Then Malchance would have to act, eventually. She was _not_ going to stand aside just watching at that disrupt in the balance and play fool, no.

Malchance was the judge and harsh truth.

Oh, she would judge, and her verdict would be implacable. Eventually.

Head would fall and blood would stain the air her lungs breathed. Eventually.

For now, she was just content to follow her own prey; she was intrigued, curious about this redheaded Demon-holder boy. So she would follow them and wait and see, for now, just for now.

* * *

Once again she caught up with Kankuro and Gaara, Sasuke arriving shortly. Surprisingly, Temari managed to recover fast enough to follow them, in attempt to keep Sasuke from reaching Gaara; though Kankuro ordered her to grab the redhead and go. _He_ would face the raven haired boy.

Cheshire whistled; a short high-pitched sound. At least these sand ninjas had enough courage to keep on with their mission; they did not lose sight of the bigger picture. Suddenly that Shino guy appeared into scene.

Ah. But he was almost as silent as her.

Almost.

He claimed the battle as his own- given the fact that Kankuro withdrew from the official fight- and encouraged Sasuke to move on, to find Gaara. The girl up above grunted, she predicted this encounter would be a fine one, yet Sasuke was taking off again.

Decisions, decisions, so much to see at the same time...

Oh, well, she could always pay attention to the rustle of the leaves and the murmur of the wind and she'll know what was going on everywhere. Come on, Cheshire, come on silly girl, keep on moving, your prey is advancing once again.

Oh, good God, but hadn't _anybody_ taught Gaara good manners _ever_? The way he- literally- left his own sister aside when Sasuke finally found them...

No, no, no good. And if it's not good then it's _bad_.

Ah, then Cheshire would have a _lot_ of teaching to do...

She looked at Sasuke, he was taunting Gaara, pressuring him to attack...

"I'm dying to see what you really are" He told the redhead.

Oh, no, no good, no good at all.

Gaara had already given up to Shukaku, he was barely holding onto his own mind, the thin veil that separated his own self from the Demon slowly tearing away until it was nothing more than a thread... He was grabbing his own head, his hands clutching fistfuls of hair, his face- no, his sand armour- cracking and breaking.

And he was screaming- screaming in such pain that Cheshire felt a thousand fire ants bit under her skin. It was just _so wrong_; Gaara was talking again. His purpose to was only to kill, because to him friends and family did not matter at all, only his purpose; a life made of killing...

"Eyes full of hate, like mine." He told Sasuke "You and I are the same"

And then all resumed to his screaming, the sound piercing the forest's thick silence, he was in pain and he did _not_ cared if he lost himself, because he had so much anger and resent and he _needed_ to feel alive _somehow_, and the Demon inside him told him to give up, to give completely up... And he did.

Cheshire sat down on the branch she was standing, one hand grabbing onto the hilt of her katana- to put her mind at ease, of course- so hard that her knuckles turned white. She gulped in anticipation, all traces of smirk leaving her face.

But...

Seen one Demon, seen them all, right? Even if it was one of the tailed beasts, it was still a Demon at core. The same wretched nature, the same predisposition towards chaos; a Demon is still a Demon, no matter how might people name it.

It was a clear and distinct sound, that soundless _thum_ coming from invisible drums. It was a slight variation in the temperature, the birds flew away, the atmosphere became thicker and heavier. She perceived it almost like she had heard the old war horn sounding a top of a hill; it was subtle, yet very, _very_ loud in a certain way. It was an unspoken declaration, a pulsing in the air, a vibration in her own _blood_. Malchance swallowed a snarl, and forced herself to be silent.

She looked at what remained of Gaara.

Half his body had shaped into some monstrous shape, all sand colour and with dark blue markings twirling over his-_ its?_ - Body.

And then he attacked Sasuke.

* * *

**Whaaa- did I just ended the chapter with a cliffhanger? Oh dear, I'm really mean!**


	16. Chapter 16

**New chapter! Finally, something longer!**

* * *

Malchance was casually laying on some branch looking faintly like some big cat resting after eating, watching the scene several meters below her with intense eyes; it would be a shame that she missed any single detail because she got distracted.

Gaara- or what was left of him, given the fact that he was half-Shukaku- attacked Sasuke again and again; the raven-haired boy barely escaped each one of his blows.

My, my, having the Sharingan was indeed a _very_ good thing.

Finally, he opted for the most reasonable choice and hid behind some tree trunk in a way that his opponent was unable to see him, yet he was still in the dark-haired girl's sight. But then again, that was not too impressive; she was used to having almost everything in her sight.

Ah, and then the redhead was taunting him, calling him, ordering him to go out and fight him, because if he didn't then his existence, his purpose, would become meaningless.

"SASUKE UCHIHA! ARE YOU REALLY SO AFRAID OF ME?" Gaara roared angrily.

Still, he got no reply. Malchance could almost hear in her head the hundred of ideas and thoughts going through Sasuke's mind.

"IS THIS THE EXISTANCE YOU LIVE NOW, THAT OF A COWARD? COME ON, SHOW ME I'M WRONG; PROVE THAT YOUR EXISTENCE IS STRONGER THAN MINE!"

That was it. That was the spark that lit the fire. The black-haired boy had apparently made up his mind, he would _not_ hide, because he was an _avenger_; and to fulfil his mission he _had_ to defeat this sand freak. No, he would _not_ lose, not to him, not to his brother...

_No._

He was an avenger.

Once again he collected the necessary amount of chakra, and steadied his breath. This was it, with this attack he _had_ to win. Instantly the blue-ish sparks erupted from his hand, and he readied himself to prepare his counter attack.

High, up above the chaos and destruction Malchance smiled impressed; to perform the chidori two almost-consecutive times in the same day? Oh sweet merciful Lord but this guy _had_ talent indeed.

He collided with Gaara, and was lucky enough to hit him with the chidori on his hand. Ah, but Sasuke looked relieved, because his opponent was now fallen, his back against a tree and apparently out of it. Yes, the Uchiha was exhausted, but he started to relax ever-so-slightly; after all, he had won...

Except he _hadn't_.

"SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS! NOW IT'S CLEAR TO ME EXACTLY WHY I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS! THIS PAIN...!" Gaara stood up once again, still roaring, shouting, hating...

"TO CRUSH SUCH AN OPONENT WHO KEEPS WOUNDING ME SO BADLY, THIS VICTORY CERTAINLY WILL MAKE ME FELL TRULY ALIVE!" The look in his eyes had stopped being human long time ago.

Malchance looked down at the figure that had been left aside from the fight. Temari was looking at both her brother and Sasuke with wide eyes and fear. After having a short mental discussion with herself, Malchance decided she would perform an act of mercy, and vanishing from her safe place she appeared once again next to the blonde girl, startling her.

Fortunately, she did not cry in surprise. _Good,_ the less attention, the better.

"What..? How..?" Temari started, but Malchance waved her hand in front of her, making her stop.

"You'll probably get caught in the crossfire at this level. Come with me...?"

"Huh? I can't leave Gaara, where do you want me to go?" She said, cautious.

Cheshire smiled an overstretched smile.

"Up."

And she grabbed the blonde's hand and made them both disappear silently from the spot; she made them return to the highest branches once again. Temari looked at her, startled of the sudden change, and while the weird girl was sitting down already, she decided to keep standing up.

"How did you do that?" The sand ninja asked.

"Oh" Cheshire shrugged "Just a little useful trick I know. Don't worry, you're safe with me" She flashed her a grin. "I promise. And this is a good spot to follow the fight too. You can call me Cheshire, by the way."

Temari nodded, she had seen the girl around.

"You're from the leaf village, right?" The blonde asked.

"No" Cheshire sighed "No, not really."

"But you wear their symbol! You're their ally, aren't you?"

"Ah, well, sort of; yeah I think you could say that. Or something like that." The dark-haired girl replied.

"Why are you helping me? Why don't you lend a hand to Uchiha?"

"I don't like treason, Temari" Wait, how did she know her name? "But it's nothing of my business to meddle in between your two villages, and you did nothing to me, why wouldn't I help you, if my help doesn't break any code or rule? And as for why I don't help Sasuke... You and I both know this is not our fight to fight."

The blonde simply nodded, and focalised her attention below.

In the time they had been talking, the Shukaku had been taking even _more_ possession of Gaara´s body, now he had a _tail_ made of sand. Oh, this wasn't good, no, this _couldn't_ be good.

Sasuke had already noticed the change, and prepared himself to push his own limits, because he _had_ to win, he _had _to...

One last time, just one last time, he needed to collect the chakra again, so that he could perform one last chidori. The blue sparks once again took possession of his hand, it would seem that he was going to be able to perform the jutsu _three_ times a day; which wouldn't be really surprising, he _was_ Sasuke after all...

Ah, but it was also true that he had the curse mark in his body. The chidori's sparks extinguished at the same time the black arabesques crawled into his skin, and he fell, defeated. Oh, no, this certainly _wasn't_ good.

Gaara prepared himself to perform one last attack against Sasuke to finish him off, the redhead was about to hit him...

_Just in time._

Naruto appeared out of thin air and kicked Gaara away, protecting his friend from a most certain death. The blonde boy stood his ground some branches beside his comrade, while Sakura inspected Sasuke, and Pakkun- well, did dog stuff.

But for some reason, Naruto seemed paralysed, or at least very shocked to do anything, to even attempt to attack Gaara. So the redhead attacked instead, he was trying to finish off his previous work, ending Sasuke's life... But Sakura stood protecting the black-haired boy. Oh well... she was a brave girl, to say at least.

Not everybody would face a Demon to protect another.

Gaara's monstrous hand pushed her against a tree trunk, trapping the pink-haired girl in a sand prison; yet the sand ninja seemed to be a little bit... unsettled, to say at least. He grabbed his head with his free hand, shaking; it would appear that Sakura's act triggered something in his brain to make him even more unstable than he was already.

Oh boy.

Naruto was still there, just observing, slightly trembling.

"Who are these two...? Who are they to you?" Gaara demanded.

"They're my friends, that's who they are! You try laying as much as another finger on them, and I will pulverise you!" Naruto replied, angered.

"What's the matter; weren't you going to _pulverise_ me?" The redhead taunted.

All of Naruto's attacks were being repelled again and again; he had to stop and think of a better tactic, because it was _too much_; he had to defeat Gaara, Sasuke was unable to move; Sakura was trapped, the sand slowly crushing her...

No, no, no; it was _too much_, how was he supposed to take care of _everything_ on his own? His mind raced trying to connect the dots, trying to find another way out of this situation...

His eyes widened.

That was it. He didn't need to be _on his own_. He needed to ask help, and his plan had two stages.

First off, he closed his eyes in a quick prayer, and begged to heavens this worked out. He took a deep breath, and screamed a top of his lungs.

"CHESHIRE! IF YOU'RE LISTENING THEN COME HERE! GIVE ME A HAND AND YOU'LL REPAY YOUR DEBTS TO KAKASHI SENSEI!"

* * *

Gaara slightly cocked his head to the side; Sasuke grumbled something, confused. Then everything felt silent, it was like the whole forest stilled for a while.

Cheshire's eyebrows shot up, she certainly had _not_ been expecting _this_. She was being asked to interfere... Ah, she couldn't really, could she?

But then again... If it was to repay Kakashi's favours... Well, then it was only but _right_ to do it. The girl swore she could hear Okku's voice at the back of her head telling her that it was the honourable thing to do, and she sighed.

Malchance clicked her tongue, slightly annoyed. She _knew_ that even if she helped, her business with Kakashi would not be settled, ah, but she was already losing time, wasn't she? And time was always an issue for her, after all.

"Wait here" She told Temari "Apparently, I'm being needed."

* * *

So... maybe Kakashi sensei had been wrong. Maybe she couldn't hear him after all, perhaps she wasn't close enough; perhaps his shout hadn't been loud enough, perhaps...

All of the sudden a gust of wind picked up making the trees sway and the leaves rustle. When it ended, there she was, ethereal Cheshire standing behind Naruto, with an arched eyebrow.

"No need to shout that loud, sweetheart." She told the blonde "After all I'm always around. Now, what can I do for you?" She asked in the gentlest of voices.

Naruto mentally cheered, and without turning around to face her he said.

"Geez I don't know. Help or something; I don't suppose you have some hidden dragon to defeat this guy, do you?"

Cheshire smirked. Malchance chuckled.

"Ah, but I'm afraid I don't possess any dragon friend... yet. Either way, I will not fight him; I'm really sorry... It's something you'll have to do on your own. I _can_ do however, another thing."

He just nodded, he had been expecting that. So, it was finally time to summon the Chief Toad, after all. With determination in his eyes, he bit his thumb, and performed the jutsu; perhaps now he would be able to win the fight, to stop all this madness, if he called the enormous toad he'll have a strong ally to fight with him.

"Summoning jutsu!"

He had not been expecting, however, the little ill-tempered orange toad.

Gaara left part of his monstrous sand hand to keep encaging Sakura, and regenerated his amputee limb with more sand. Now, even more part of his body was transforming into the Sand Demon, and he was looking at Naruto, expecting, like some feral creature awaiting for his prey to fell into their trap.

Naruto looked at him, at his eyes...

Gaara was the same as him, the same loneliness and despair he had growing up, the same feeling of rejection, all that _darkness_... And now he was turning into a monster. Naruto had been lucky that he found people who made his loneliness fade away... he had Iruka and Kakashi sensei; Sakura, Sasuke, even Cheshire who always supported him in her own twisted way...

But what if he hadn't found them?

Maybe he would have turned out _just_ like Gaara; he could have become the same monster as him...Before he had met them, it was everything pain and darkness; it was scary.

Naruto performed his shadow clones jutsu, and tried to break through Gaara's defences, but the redhead counter attacked with his sand shuriken, making every clone disappear and throwing him out of balance.

He fell.

* * *

Malchance looked at him and bit her lip. She did _not_ like that her friend was being thrown around like that, that he was being hurt; but she had a job to do. She swiftly thanked Heavens that Gaara was so focused on Naruto that she was completely free of attention. Good, good, almost even perfect.

The girl kneeled besides Sasuke, and turned him around, so that he was laying on his back. He was still conscious, but unable to move; completely out of chakra and the curse mark taking its toll on his body. Malchance put her hand on his forehead, and extended her chakra to _feel_.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, too tired to slap her hand away.

"Just assessing the damages."

It was _bad_. So much darkness twirling inside of him, the curse mark tainting his blood and spirit so that they were simply _filthy_. Malchance scrunched up her nose, sniffing the scent of his taint with disgust. She grumbled; there was only one way to clean him- even if just a tiny bit.

Still kneeling, she unscrewed the hilt of her sword, revealing its hollow inside hiding a small crystal flask. The girl opened the flask and the scent of wood and cherries filled the air, making Sasuke feel a little bit better already. She helped him into a half-sitting position, and held the flask in front of his face.

"Here, drink this. It'll make you feel a lot better, trust me."

Sasuke eyed her carefully, and then he looked at the flask, uncertain. With a lot of struggle he took it in his hand and inspected the content; it appeared to be some sort of pearly white substance that seemed a little bit viscose.

"What is this thing?" He asked her, without trusting the girl.

Cheshire sighed. Malchance was annoyed.

"Something that may help purify your blood and chakra a little bit. It's not poison, see?" She took the flask from his hand and gulped down some of the liquid. "See? Nothing that could harm you; in fact you should consider yourself honoured with a gift. Just drink some of it, trust me."

Well... something inside him- his intuition, probably- told him to do it, and he grabbed the flask once again. Sasuke took three sips, and noticed the drink had a faint taste of iron. After a couple of seconds, the black swirls started to disappear; the air felt cleaner, the colours brighter. He was still exhausted though.

Malchance nodded, pleased.

"Good. You still need to rest, but at least this will help with your recovery."

She hid the flask again into the hilt of her sword, and sat down next to Sasuke. Focusing her attention on Naruto once again, she realised that somehow he had managed to stick a paper bomb on Gaara, weakening him a little bit. With the explosion, the blonde ninja was thrown backwards, landing in between Sasuke and Cheshire, who now were sitting against a tree trunk.

* * *

"All that work and you only managed to hit him _once_?" Sasuke mocked him, ah; it would appear that indeed he was feeling better.

"Ah, put a sock on it!" Naruto

"Don't pay attention to him, Naruto, I think it was brilliant" Cheshire expressed her humble opinion.

* * *

What? No. No, no, no. Sasuke was planning a _suicide mission_! To tell Naruto and Cheshire to grab Sakura and run away while he stopped Gaara... No, his body wasn't fully recovered.

Cheshire admired his noble feelings.

Malchance rolled her eyes at his stupidity.

Naruto looked at him, then at Sakura, then at Gaara...

_No._

Strength was _not_ increased when being alone, but when fighting to protect; he could see it now, he could see it clearly. The blonde released a massive amount of chakra.

Cheshire smiled in awe, his chakra felt just so _warm_, it was like having a hot tea after the coldest of days. But then again, she shouldn't be surprised; his whole presence was like that.

Naruto performed his shadow clone jutsu once again, this time, with even more and more clones; then he commanded Sasuke to rest- and Cheshire to make sure he _actually_ rested. Both simply nodded in silence and admiration- when did he became so strong?

And then he delivered punch after kick after punch with every single one of his clones, it was amazing that he actually managed to turn the tables that way; Gaara fell to the floor, hurt.

The redhead opened his eyes again, both irises filled with hatred and hunger.

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I'M LOSING TO A GUY LIKE HIM!" The sand ninja cried, and then with a sudden burst of Demon power he managed to destroy every single clone; Naruto went flying against some tree.

When the smoke provoked by Gaara's attack ceased, Malchance swallowed a low growl, she had her fair share dealing with Demons before; if possible, she did _not_ wanted to deal with another one in quite a long time... And yet, right there was the Shukaku, raging and creating havoc. Oh dear God, but life has its wicked turns. The sand started to envelope Naruto in a cocoon- that would most certainly become his coffin- and Cheshire resisted the urge to lung forward and melt all that sand away, because _he_ could not end like this; however, something stopped her. A feeling, a premonition, a burning spicy taste in her tongue that told her everything was not lost yet.

"SUMMONING JUTSU!" And then a giant toad appeared in the middle of the commotion, Naruto smugly smirking, standing on his head.

Soon enough the fight began, it was a battle of sheer power that managed to destroy quite _a lot_ of the surrounding woods. Cheshire- and Aisha at some point- grumbled to herself about the lack of respect people- Demons, gigantic toads- could have sometimes. Now _bears_ would not cause this degree of destruction.

* * *

Naruto observed Shukaku's head; from there, in between sand and sorrow appeared Gaara, sprouting like some distorted flower, with bloodlust in his gaze. Then he performed a weird jutsu that made him fall asleep.

Oh no. This was _bad_.

The Chief Toad did his best to avoid all the blows, but now the Demon they were facing was finally in the zenith of his full potential; all brute force and amazing power that created nothing but chaos.

Yes, this _was_ bad.

The toad told him he had to wake up Gaara in order to weaken Shukaku, and that he was going to hold the beast while Naruto followed his orders. A shame toads are slippery; with no claws or teeth. The Demon broke free of the amphibian's grasp, and proceeded to attack them once again.

"Use the transformation jutsu to transform my body into something that has the things we need!" The animal told Naruto.

Huh? So he had to... transform both of them? But into what...?

No time to think, the Chief Toad was charging at their enemy once again.

Something with fangs and claws, something with fangs and claws, no time to think, only to act, to transform, to win...

In a sudden moment of clarity, an idea entered his head.

_Something with fangs and claws._

They were fighting a Demon.

_Something with fangs and claws._

* * *

Malchance's eyes widened; how did...? How come the Nine Tailed Fox was now there, in all his glory; with eyes red as blood and unnatural orange fur? No, no, it wasn't the Fox; on a closer inspection, she realised the toad's and Naruto's chakra were twirling underneath the Kyuubi's façade. The orange beast dig his claws and his fangs onto the sand spirit, effectively holding him into place.

The transformation ended, and Naruto jumped from his summoned animal's head to punch Gaara in the face. Ouch. Talking about rough wake up calls. Even if the redhead's jutsu ended, the Demon still had some fight in himself, and kept on battling with whatever force he had left.

Cheshire suddenly remembered something; she said she would help, and she had forgotten about something- _someone_- else. She gazed at Sakura, unconscious, still trapped underneath the sand. Ah, silly girl, how can you be so blind when the query in question is right in front of you?

"Sasuke, keep resting, yes? I don't want to look back and find that you ran off into the fight." She told him, standing up and brushing off her dress.

"What? Where are you going?"

"To help Sakura, she's still trapped in case you've forgotten."

Said that, she walked up to another branch, one nearer to the trunk were Sakura was encaged. She closed her eyes, ignoring the loud fight almost next to her; and she allowed her mind to void of thoughts.

Inhale; exhale.

She performed the hand signs; and broke the lock.

Slowly, white fire started to emanate from her hands; she looked into it and recognised several figures and shadows inside, some faces she did not know, and a few stories she had heard in her childhood. She loved her fire. It was warm in her hands, never hurting her, always obeying her command like the good tamed creature it was. Cheshire whispered her orders, _do not injure the girl_, and allowed it to roam free from her hands until it arrived to the sand. It started eating the sand away like a thousand ants devouring a fragile, tender leaf; melting all the substance into liquid glass that was falling to the floor, shining and twirling in a beautiful soundless symphony. The flames danced vividly, as if the wind was playing with them, they were hungry, _starving_, and they accepted their food happily.

Cheshire leaned forward to capture Sakura's body before she fell to the floor- that would have been a long fall- and she dragged her- now it was one of the moments she regretted not being taller, or physically stronger- up to where Sasuke was. Looking back, she realised the flames were still dancing on the trunk's surface, and with a _snap_ of her fingers she commanded them to disappear.

Sasuke looked at her, suspicion in his voice.

"_What_ was that?" He asked.

"Fire. My Kekkei Genkai, to be clearer."

"I've never seen anything like that..."

"No, I'm sure you haven't. It's pretty, isn't' it?" She said in good spirits.

"It looked... _weird_..." He accented the last word.

Cheshire grinned a too-large smile.

"Yeah. This is not regular fire, you see, it's not that stupid orange fire you're used to; no. This fire is _alive_ it has a soul within, it's almost a living creature. Even if the ability to summon it runs in your blood, you still have to tame it like it was some wild animal, or it won't obey you. And let me tell you, it requires a lot of chakra to keep it in line... It can be somewhat rebellious, and you _can't_ allow it to suddenly break from your will, or _bad_ things would happen. You see, you'll always be responsible for what you tame."

* * *

Naruto closed his eyes, and focused. He _needed_ to win, if not... Sakura... Sasuke... Cheshire... Everyone in the village...

_No._

He was going to protect everyone, every single person in the village. No, he would _not_ allow Gaara to destroy everything he cared about. _No way in a million years._

Red-orange chakra started to form around himself, feeding off his burning desire, his iron will.

* * *

Cheshire looked at the scene above her- it was weird that she was the one _below_ now- and licked her dried lips.

A head butt.

Naruto had given Gaara a head butt.

All the sand cracked and Shukaku lost his form; the Chief Toad disappeared, making both the blonde and the redhead fall and fall and... Thank God for the trees that avoided their collision with the floor.

Something was off. She noticed it right away, in the way the air stilled and the fraction of a second in which all life ceased vibrating. Something was _off_. She looked around herself, trying to discover what it was; something in the distance, something had happened.

But what?

Cheshire observed a single dark green leaf slowly falling to the floor; like it was too old and tired to keep attached to its tree. She watched the leaf describe circles in the air, each one smaller and smaller until it softly arrived to the earth; dead.

Oh, _no_.

The Hokage.

Malchance slapped herself, she _should_ have stayed back! She should have, she _should have!_ She left him alone with Orochimaru- someone she actually _could_ fight- instead of tending him a hand, whatever little help she could offer against him. She should have, she should have...

_Bad_ Cheshire, _bad_ silly girl, you fool.

* * *

Naruto was exhausted, crawling on the floor after they both fell from the trees, he _needed_ to beat Gaara, even if it meant his own death, he was not going to leave all of his friends- no, _his family_- behind.

The redhead looked at him with wide eyes clouded by fear, unable to move.

"Stay away!" Gaara cried in despair.

"It's... almost unbearable, isn't it? The feeling of being all alone..." Naruto said "I know that feeling, I've been there, in that dark and lonely place... but now... there are others, other people who mean a lot to me... I care more about them than I do myself... and I _won't_ let anyone hurt them... That's why I won't _ever_ give up... I _will_ stop you, even if I have to _kill you!_"

The sand ninja was laying there, with his eyes open, shocked.

"But why...? Why would you do this for someone besides yourself...?" He asked, truly intrigued.

"Because they saved me from myself... They rescued me from my loneliness; they were the first to accept me for who I am... they're my friends."

And that's why he would end all of this; even if he had to crawl inch by inch until he got to Gaara, even if...

A gentle hand on his head stopped him, and he looked up to bright big forest green eyes, and the ghost of a smile that seemed to be sincere.

That was the first of her smiles that did not make him shiver.

"That's enough, Naruto, that's enough" Cheshire said, her fingers tenderly combing through his golden locks.

Next to her, Sasuke was kneeling on the floor, with that haughty smile of him.

"Look" He said. "Sakura's gonna be fine, she's free from the sand now. And this guy's chakra" He gestured towards Gaara "Is all used up."

Cheshire helped him half-sit on the floor, embracing him in a calming hug.

"It's over; it's finally over. You did it." She murmured, her chin on top of his head.

"That's a relief" The blonde said, before finally passing out.

Gaara's siblings arrived, still looking capable of putting a hell of a fight if provoked; but the redhead stopped them before they could do anything. It was over now... Maybe Naruto was right; fighting for others, fighting for _love_ was what gave somebody real strength...

Kankuro helped Gaara up, carrying his weight with his body.

"Wait!" Cheshire suddenly told them.

She carefully laid Naruto on the floor again, and stood up slowly. Then she advanced towards them, eyes clear and shining. She stood in front of Gaara, who looked at her tiredly, barely holding his head up. She inspected the depth of his eyes; they were much more pure now, without that hated and resent, without the endless madness gnawing at the edge of his irises. Without a word, the girl brushed some dirt off his face, and planted a feather-like kiss on his forehead, right on top of his red tattoo. She was feeling so happy she even answered his question before it was asked.

"That was for good luck." She beamed at him.

"The flower..." Gaara said, his voice strained. "The flower you gave to me... I think it broke in the fight..." My, my, did he sound actually _sad_?

Cheshire whistled.

"So you actually kept it? Ah, I must say I'm impressed... But don't worry about that. I'll make you tons of glass flowers soon!"

"...Soon?" He asked.

"Yeah, soon, sooner than 'soon', before you even remember that I said it. Soon. But not now... there are a lot of things to fix now... Anyway" She looked at Kankuro and Temari. "I'll see you around." And she turned back, allowing the three of them to retreat.

She returned to where Naruto was, and she sat down on the floor besides his unconscious being. One last time she ran her fingers through his hair; if only there were more people in the world like him...

* * *

Rain.

Endless weepy rain. It was funny how even the sky decided to play accord and mourn the Hokage's death. Everybody was there, clenched in black with heads barely up. It was amazing, all the silence, all the tears of so many different people in synch; their very spirits and souls mingling into one.

The flowers have already being laid on the tomb, and everybody was preparing to bid a final goodbye to the great old man. Then, in the middle of the dark crowd, a white-clad Cheshire appeared, effortlessly gliding across the floor, emerging from the crowd. There were whispers as for how inappropriate her attire was; a funeral was for wearing black and weep; yet she was there, in front of everybody, in a white dress and with no tears in her eyes.

She advanced until she was right in front of the tomb, and then bowed once, a courtesy habit.

She bowed twice, the second time, doubling her body in half, the way common folk show respect to a king.

The third bow she performed was when she knelt on the floor, her forehead touching the ground in reverence, like a humble servant does to his lord.

"That's the way she pays her respects" Kakashi informed Naruto in a whisper.

Then she straightened her body and sat there, her back upright and with a certain amount of majesty emanating from her; but perhaps that was due to her clothes. There, in front of the tomb, her back facing an ocean of people wearing black she looked like some white beacon of light, ethereal as ever and just simply _clean_.

The rain stopped and the sun came out.

Naruto looked at her, then at the tomb. Perhaps Iruka and Kakashi sensei were right after all, and despite his death, the old Hokage left something amazing and priceless: the will of fire that belonged to the Village hidden in the Leaves.

* * *

Sasuke was walking alone, several hours after the funeral took place. He looked down the road, and smiled. Great, so he had been right, Cheshire was still there, sitting in the exact same position as before. He approached her, slowly.

"You still here?" He asked.

The girl lazily opened her eyes- she appeared to have been meditating again- and turned her head to the right to face him.

"It's custom to honour a death for a whole day, especially a death as honourable as his." She simply explained.

Sasuke nodded his head; that was not why he was there anyway.

"That... thing, you gave me to drink, I thought the taste was strange; it reminded me of something, but I didn't know what. Now I've figured it out. It was blood, Cheshire, you gave me blood." His tone was almost accusatory.

"It was indeed, wasn't it?" She agreed.

"From who? What creature in the whole universe has white blood that has those effects when you drink it?"

"A friend." It was her only answer.

Sasuke knelt on the floor and grabbed her hand, with a kunai he had produced out of thin air, he cut her skin- not too deep, but enough to draw blood. Soon enough the red droplets started forming on the place the skin had been injured. Red, the reddest shade of red.

Not white.

The boy nodded, and stood up once again.

"Just checking" He explained.

Cheshire looked at her hand, and then at the boy.

"Of course, it never hurts to double-check some things" She smiled.

He walked away without further word.

Cheshire sighed, looking up at the sky above her... Ah, she knew Okku would be angry with her. She already could hear his rant about all the exact different ways in which giving Sasuke the White Blood was the most reckless act of her entire existence, that could put her very own life at stake; she could hear the deep rumble when the bear scorned her for being imprudent and for creating such a deep bond with some human he did _not_ trusted.

Ah, it would be worth it. At least now Sasuke had something, even if a little thing that was nothing but clean and pure in his body.

* * *

**So that's it, for now. What do you think? :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Oh good God I can't believe I'm on chapter 17 already...**

* * *

"You look odd, Grinner; s'mething the matter?"

Cheshire looked up at the woman standing beside her, still holding a plate with half-eaten dumplings. The girl realized she had been daydreaming for the best part of an hour already and sunk further into her seat. Then she chuckled a merry-less chuckle.

"No Anika, everything's right. I'm just tired; the last couple of days were..." She trailed off trying to find the right adjective.

"Tiring?" The dirty blonde haired woman offered.

"Yeah, I guess so. And unexpected, stressful, eventful... and a long list I'd rather not mention."

"Oh, that sounds like a really good story. Care to tell me 'bout it?" The waitress smiled excited.

Cheshire shrugged, a hidden smile tempting to climb her lips.

"Sure, if you like stories with Demons and betrayals from Hidden Villages in distant places." She loved the fact that Anika always seemed to be eager to listen every one of her stories- weather real or just legends- like a little kid. The world needed more people willing to listen with that excitement, she decided.

"...Demons...? You always seem to end up in the weirdest of situations, Grinner. Just let me hand this empty plates to da' and I'll be with you in a second."

Cheshire smiled at the back of the woman. She and her father- and occasionally her husband who dropped by to visit when his work was low- always made her feel at ease for some reason. Perhaps it was that they all were simple people, with no more ambition than surviving and leaving a good heritage for their families. The girl closed her eyes and remembered the first time she walked into the diner, her sight had been caught by the old wooden sign a top of the entrance; _"The traveller's haven"_. She had only planned to stop by, eat something and continue walking away; however, she ended up engaged in a friendly talk with a skinny bored-looking waitress and her calm-looking father, the owner of the place. Apparently, the establishment had been in the family for generations and whatnot.

Anika reappeared from behind the curtain that hid the kitchen's entrance and sat down in front of Cheshire, a warm smile on her thin lips.

"Sooo...?" She dragged the word playfully. "Tell me, honey, how did you found yourself facing Demons and stuff? Was it in that ninja place you always visit? Kono-_something_?"

"_Konohagakure_" Cheshire softly corrected. "And yeah, it was there. But let me start from the beginning, yes?"

She told her everything that happened on the Chuunin exams, giving her only a rough sketch about Orochimaru's role and his plans- really, it was no use scaring the poor woman when the changing tides hadn't stated their direction yet. When she finished the story, Anika whistled between her teeth, and cocked her head slightly to the side.

"You _sure_ have some weird friends, huh?" She told her.

"Ah, yes, I seem to attract the oddest of people, don't I?" Cheshire mused.

"Sure, but I mean; _two_ boys with _Demons _inside?" She shook her head. "I thought those things were only tales old folk told children to make 'em eat their vegetables. You _sure_ you're not pulling my leg, right?"

"You know I _don't_ lie, Anika. I know it may be hard to swallow, but it's all real."

Anika shook her head once again, and stood up to take the orders of the new arrived customers.

"I'm telling you, Grinner, the world's getting more and more messed up each day. I'm just glad I was born in here, where nothing crazy like that happens; I dunno what I'd do if I had to face a Demon. Mark my words, girl, everything's gonna get into some sort of chaotic turmoil one of this days, and something tells me you're gonna end up caught right in the middle of the storm."

Cheshire just nodded at her, and allowed her to go on with her work. Ah, if Anika only knew the amount of truth and certainty her statement held...

* * *

"What do you think, Chesh? Do you think your life is going to get less hectic any time soon?"

The girl was standing next to Kakashi, accompanying him on his wait.

"Honestly? No, not at all. It's going to be a _long_ time before I'm able to finish all my remaining businesses. "She simply answered.

"...So they're still after you..." The gray haired ninja commented.

"... It is in human nature to chase what they fear, to fear what they can't control, to try to control what they think it's powerful..." And her mind was away, far, far away, in a dark damp place with chains and dark laughter.

She shook off the shiver that ran down her spine.

"I see. And what about your father? Can't he do anything?"

The girl smiled a lopsided grin.

"Of course he could; but I'm in no position to ask, he's a busy, busy man. And to ask him to interfere would trigger a long series of unfortunate events that would most likely end up in carnage of one sort or another. And no, I _can't_ afford that, thank you very much. And _no_, Kakashi, you can't help either; it's too risky for... well, for everybody that more people get involved."

"You can't go on trying to do everything on your own; why do you think shinobi are taught to work in groups?" He nagged her softly.

"Heh, don't worry, I'm not alone; I've got a giant bear, remember? Plus... I know by heart all the places I can hide and the names of those who are on my side." She smiled at him. "Your name's on the list, on one of the first places."

The man ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Fine, fine, just... feel free to ask for help whenever you need, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, keep saying that, like I didn't owe you practically everything already..." She rolled her eyes.

"It's not _that_ much, you're exaggerating..."

"You know as well as I do that _my people_ don't take any granted favour lightly, it's custom to always remember old debts- even after being settled- or alliances; or even a silly gift. It's on our tradition to remember every single good thing anybody has done for us, or for our ancestors. You saved my _life_; for all that I know my grandchildren would still be willing to put their hands on fire for your descendants."

The man looked at her carefully. She always amazed him, even if she was only twelve years old- oh dear Lord, such a young child...- there was so much evidence of the way she had been raised. It was mesmerizing how a little girl like her was well-versed in philosophy and politics, into old, faded, hidden secrets no man should know, how she was trained to maintain the highest levels of discipline. How many tutors had she had? How many hours she had spent training and learning?

How hard must it have been growing up with such a high level of expectations to fill?

It was particularly interesting to him the way she didn't appear to commit the same error twice, like she was used to correcting every little mistake she did. To some she would appear carefree and wild, with no regard whatsoever for the rules-and she was, up to a degree- but he knew better; he could see the harsh- yet loving- years of instruction she carried on her shoulders, all the responsibilities and the hopes so many people had on her...

She was going to be the centre of the events to come, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

"_Hey there little girl. Are you lost?" A man with gray hair had said to a child. He was returning from a solo mission and stumbled upon her on some forest._

"_Hello, nice night for an evening, don't you think, sir?" She just said, looking sad and staring at her reflection on a pond in front of her._

_He got closer to her; she looked so small and frail._

"_Where are your parents? Where is your home?" He asked her, in intent to help her._

"_Mother is up there" She signalled the sky, and he understood instantly. "And Father is away, busy, but that's not his fault. I don't know where my home is for now..." She trailed off, still looking sad. "It's a long story"._

"_I've got time" He said, because his intuition told him this child had a lot to say._

_The little girl smiled a feeble smile at him, and patted the spot next to her for him to sit._

* * *

"Kakashi? Kakashi...? Uhm, hello there?" Cheshire waved her hand in front of his face.

"Oh, sorry, I got caught up in the memory lane" He offered her a smile- hidden behind his mask, of course.

"And they say _I_ daydream a lot..." She mused entertained. "Anyway, I'll get going now, if that's not a problem for you, my friend."

He nodded his head and allowed her to walk away, at the same time two other of his fellow jonin- a smoking man and a beautiful woman- approached him.

* * *

She liked the weather in Konoha; not too hot or too cold, with an occasional fresh rain during some months of the year. It was mostly sunny though. Yes, it was a good weather she decided; although not her complete favourite, she preferred the wind that played wild with her hair, and a couple of storms with their lightning bolts masterly drawn into the dark sky. If she could choose, however, it was most certain that Cheshire would say she'd rather stand under an old cherry tree with black bark; standing just in the _middle _of _everything_ and enjoying the four seasons at the same time.

She closed her eyes and remembered a little girl watching the green warm summer in the South, the white pure winter in the North; she almost saw once again that colourful windy spring in the East and the stormy gold and red autumn in the West. And there, in the middle, the big beautiful tree, connecting everything; making all the differences become one and the same, as if it was only but natural for the four seasons collide in such an astonishing way...

Cheshire opened her eyes once again; it would be a shame for her to trip due to her own stupidity.

Her sensitive ears picked up a familiar voice, and she curiously looked to her left to find out the cause of that commotion. She looked up to the food stall's name; _Ichiraku,_ and smiled to herself. Ah, but it figures, nothing but the expected.

However, she did _not_ expected entering the place and spotting Naruto in nothing but his underwear, waving frantically his pants as if expecting something to fall from them.

"Oh, come on! I _know_ I had it here, somewhere! I mean, I _can't_ have lost one free ramen ticket!" The blonde boy was whining.

Cheshire casually sat on one of the chairs and looked at him with fake bored eyes.

"My, my, have you looked behind your headband?" She offered.

"My headband...?" He looked at her, apparently at ease with the fact that she simply had appeared there at some time. "Ah! Of course! I put it there because I was afraid it would fall off my pockets!"

The blonde unfastened his forehead protector and a small piece of paper fell off. He broadly grinned, and handed it to the old man running the stand.

"See? Told ya I had it." Then he turned to face Cheshire. "Thanks Chesh! How did you know it was in there, at any rate?"

"Naruto, I _know_ things. That's my work after all; I am a Knower, among other things."

It was not the first time she answered with those words, so he simply nodded as if he caught the hidden meaning of her sentence.

"Anyway" The girl continued while the blonde dressed up once again. "Mind if I keep you company for a while? I haven't eaten yet."

"Sure! You can tell me about some of your crazy stories while we eat!" He sat down next to her.

She ordered her food while the cook was already working on Naruto's meal, Cheshire asked for a simple ramen, with nothing too fancy or many ingredients.

"So, did I ever tell you about the Golden Eagle?" She asked him.

"Umm no. What's that?"

"Well, my dear blonde knucklehead, as the name states; it's a bird. An eagle. That happens to be golden. The prettiest of birds, if I may add; its feathers glisten in the sunlight and it has one of the most heartbreaking and soul-moving cries I've ever heard."

"Are you serious? An eagle made of _gold_?" He asked, disbelieving.

"I don't know if it's actually made of gold, I never could quite catch it, no matter how hard I tried..." She looked down, lost in her thoughts for a couple of seconds. "However, it's said its feathers have _magical_ proprieties- again, don't ask me what magical proprieties, not much is known about the shiny bird, you see- and it rarely allows anyone to see it."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, because people would _hunt_ it, don't you think?" She said with a bitter smirk.

"Oh, you're right. It sounds like a pretty bird though..."

Cheshire nodded her head, and suddenly looked at Naruto dead in the eye, with a serious expression.

"If you ever see it, do _not_ follow it. Never. That sneaky bastard, you'll never reach it; you'll never forget it, and it can take you to very _bad_ things. Old stories write about the Golden Eagle being a catalyst, a creature that announced a great change; and trust me, it's not always a _good change. _Nothing good comes from trying to beat time and run ahead of it... Don't follow it or you'll get caught in a really mess. It happened to me; so just take the warning, okay?"

At that time the waitress came with both their orders and the kids started eating. Naruto side-glanced at his friend, but he did not dare to ask anything; after all, one can never know when a too personal question will make Cheshire run away.

"I had to see it for myself, it _does_ look like you eat nothing more than ramen, huh, short stuff?" Came a voice from outside.

A big man with impossibly white hair entered the place, and Cheshire looked at him curiously.

"...Don't call me short..." Naruto muttered, annoyed. "Besides, she's shorter than I am..." He pointed at the girl next to him.

The newcomer looked at her, and Cheshire simply grinned her too-wide smile at him.

"And who's this?" The man asked.

"Oh, right, Cheshire" Naruto looked at her. "Meet pervy sage. Pervy sage, this is Cheshire."

Ah. So _he_ was the one that had been training Naruto.

"I told you to stop calling me like that! I am the toad sage, master Jiraiya!" And he made some cheesy pose.

Cheshire grinned, she liked this man's spirit.

"Anyway, we need to go, squirt; I'm planning to go on a short trip and need you to come with me." Pervy sa-_Jiraiya_ said to the blonde.

* * *

So Naruto was going away a couple of days on a mission, huh? Oh, well...

Things would probably be a lot less loud around.

Cheshire was lying on her back staring at the clouds above her, just taking some time to herself to relax, with her big bear dozing off beside her. She watched at a particularly fluffy cloud that faintly reminded her of a sheep's woollen coat, all warm and soft and comfortable to use as a pillow.

"Oh, man, and here I thought I'd have some time alone in this training area..."

Cheshire looked at her left, and saw an annoyed Shikamaru standing near her.

"Oh, good evening there" Cheshire grinned "Guess it would appear that we have the same relaxing spot, huh? Curiouser and curiouser... Anyway, you can stay here if you want too, I wasn't planning on dragging you into a terribly boring conversation."

The boy sighed and contemplated his options. Well... Her company was not _too_ bad, and he definitely was _not_ in the mood of going _all _ the way back after he had dragged himself out here. With another sigh, the boy laid down next to her, with his eyes closed.

It was interesting how calming her presence was, a good getaway of all the chaos and noise he was used to. And she smelled nice too; like fresh air and cherries.

"You know, it's not necessary for you to keep your guard up around me." She said after fifteen minutes of silence or so.

The boy opened one eye and lazily looked at her.

"Just the fact that you know my guard is up is enough reason for keeping it that way, don't you think?" He answered her.

"Seems logical. Sort of. You're more... perceptive than most people, aren't you? Yet... for whatever little my word counts, I'm telling you, I won't harm you. Unless you suddenly decide to attack me or something like that."

"No offense, but how do I know you're not lying?"

"I _don't_ lie. Other than that, you can't be sure, of course."

"...Of course" He simply replied.

A moment of silence made its way in between the two.

"Was it time?" Suddenly the boy said.

"...Beg your pardon?"

"That riddle, I never quite could give you my answer. It was 'time', wasn't it?"

Cheshire soundlessly smiled.

"Yes. Yes it was. Your turn now, do you have one for me?" She asked.

"Not now, but give me some time and I will give you one... when I feel like it..." He said.

"Of course, no need to rush the things that should not be rushed." The girl smiled even broader.

It was certainly nice that she could spend some quiet time with another human being. She closed her eyes and listened to Okku's deep breathing, and felt all her uncertainties fade away; an almost surreal calmness possessed her, and she allowed her mind to roam the infinites of possibilities and memories; the long lane of regrets and questions and plans.

She softly sighed, the ghost of a gentle smile on her lips.

Perhaps, and only perhaps, she should make a quick trip to check on Naruto the next day or something. After all, she liked to know things first hand, her job was to _see_. Yes, that sounded like a good plan... But not right now; now she was perfectly happy to lay on the grass in silence, enjoying the company of a lazy boy.

* * *

**That's all for now :) What do you think?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Umm... long time no see... sorry for that (shame on me, shame on me!) **

**But here's the next chapter anyway, enjoy!  
**

* * *

Cheshire was confused.

That was odd.

It was rare that she got lost, and _never_ while appearing and disappearing. No, no, there was something wrong with this.

Could it be her fault? Could she have mistaken and appeared in another part of the world; _into_ something?

No, no, no. She was sure she focused correctly, she was sure she put the correct amount of chakra, she was sure she followed the blonde's essence- even if thinking on appearing a little bit away from him- yet somehow...

How did this happen?

Cheshire furrowed her brow, and hummed in confusion. She was standing in a rectangular hallway- or something that resembled one, at least- that was covered in what appeared to be rosy, sticky flesh. Like it was the inside of some animal's throat; it was certainly interesting, but definitely _not_ what she had expected. She advanced some meters- with extra effort given the fact that her feet kept sticking to the floor- and discovered a hole- had someone escaped through there?- with some kind of black fire on the edges.

The girl peeked outside and smiled to herself; so she hadn't been wrong after all, she was standing inside a building- maybe a hotel- so the nature of the hallway was probably thanks to a jutsu of some kind.

Her brain connected the dots fast enough; a jutsu that seemed made to trap enemies, a hole in the wall, black fire... A fight. There had been a fight, yes, most certainly. She was about to turn around and look for Naruto and his new teacher, but something impeded her from doing so. It was a tugging on the back of her mind, a trembling that attacked her hands and made her pulse faster and faster. Something was _off_.

She looked around, the flesh-covered walls, floor and ceiling; the hole with a rather nice view of the sky and a river behind, and that weird-looking black fire.

Black fire.

Black.

Fire.

_Black Fire!_

Cheshire kneeled on the floor, inspecting closely the object of her curiosity, the impulse springing from some deep place on her soul she was not entirely able to place. What was it? What was it with this _thing?_

She was no stranger to odd-coloured fires, but this was something completely different than what she had seen before. It burned the throat-like surface slowly, with no scent or smoke. It was there, hungry, eating away the fuel that had been given; it was a rock-hard statement that could not be moved from its place, it could not be freed, could not be ordered... It reminded her so much of her own fire...

Curiosity got the best of her, and ignoring that little voice in her head that told her that _no, silly girl, it's dangerous, get away_, she brought her own face closer to de fire, close enough so that the flames almost touched her skin. She sniffed it... nothing. No scent that could be recognised at all. She focused her eyes on the black, black, nothing more than black, no shape to be described, no hidden riddle to be read, no burst of _life_ playing wildly with an inexistent wind...

She allowed a low sound escape her throat, raised herself from the floor, not once looking away from the black, black, incredibly black...

Left and right, left and right, left and right she paced; she was _not_ tranquil, she had an itch on her brain, a _snap_ on her mind, because it was not _natural_, it was not supposed to be like that.

Left and right; left and right.

Oh, but the wolf hidden in her eyes was _starving_, how long had it been, how long, how long?

_Long enough-_ Malchance offered, bitter as ever.

How long since it had been chained and left there to starve? How long since it had been trapped, its freedom ripped off? How long since it had been denied its right to howl?

_Long enough, long enough; too fucking long!_ Malchance was pissed off, and with all the right in the world. Cheshire grimaced, her lower back throbbing. Aisha felt like crying, she was just tired of it all.

The girl looked at the fire, could it be? The answer? Perhaps in something that was so alike to her she could read the sentence she lost long ago, the name that slipped of her grasp? And the little voice in the back of her head warned once again; was it really safe? No. So _get away_.

Ah, but it was too late.

Cheshire was already in all fours, sniffing once again only to notice that nothing had changed since the last time. Her trembling lips grew closer and closer to the fire, that black, black, bottomless black... And with one slow- yet decided- movement she licked a flame with her tongue, intrigued about the taste- because, of course, everything had a different _taste_.

It burnt her throat and it tasted bitter and just simply _wrong_, her eyes filled with tears, and she couldn't breathe, all because one single stupid impulse. But she had _no time_, because she heard footsteps behind her and she had to run before somebody got to her in her current state; she _knew_ that the footsteps belonged to both Naruto and Jiraiya, she _knew_ they would not harm her... But she had a reputation to maintain, and she enjoyed her reputation quite a lot.

So she faded away, off to somewhere else where she could not be seen.

She started to cough, and oh dear Lord please make it stop, she begged to Heavens for it to stop, because she had been stupid and reckless and based her decisions purely on some twisted instinct of her- why did she kept doing that? Her decisions were _bad_! - Instead of trusting Malchance's instincts, or Aisha's learning's, or even the heritage passed down onto R...

Damn it all! Why couldn't she think of her own name?

_Because it's not yours_- Shut up Malchance, you're bitter and harsh, don't corrupt little Cheshire, she's still somewhat pure.

Since when had she started to talk to herself? Cheshire, Cheshire, you're losing it, and you _don't_ want to be there once again.

Silly girl.

Pay attention. Raise your head. Stand up and walk away, dignity intact.

The coughing stopped.

Silly little girl, foolish Cheshire, why didn't you stay away?

Because no, it was _not_ like her fire at all.

Of course not. This... this black fire, this _wretched_ fire was still and deprived of any life. _Her _fire could move, _her_ fire had a soul within, it was not just black and hungry and...

Okay, so maybe it _was_ hungry.

But that was the only resemblance. And suddenly she got angry with someone- she didn't know with who exactly- Because she had learnt by heart a lot of dates and names, and she _knew_- knowing _was_ her job- when and where- and by who- the White Fire was developed, how it ended up impregnating on blood and passed down on generations and generations; all _because of blood_. And to see the principle being stretched and bend around itself so much that it had turned from _life_ to _death_... No, no, it was just plainly _wrong_.

Could it certainly be that both branches met at the same root...?

_No._

Rationalise a little harder, break down the riddle into fragments and fractions.

No, no... Most likely someone, long ago, had seen her own fire and developed this... _filthy_ version of it. One can never know, with blood and heritage a lot of things could be done; but she was as certain as she could be that in _no freaking way_ she could be related to the owner of that _thing_. No way in any of the circles of Hell someone that carried the same blood as her could be the creator of a jutsu like that.

She released a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and let herself fall back on the... snow? Really?

She opened her eyes and took in the infinite white scenery, and blushed at her own childish antics. At some level of her subconscious she had chosen to appear in snow; all white, pure white, simply white wherever she looked...

It was a good place to rest, at least for a while.

On a side note, perhaps the third part of her got serious and made the mental remark of telling her father of this new discovery some day. He would _not_ be pleased.

* * *

Trying to burst the balloon filled with water had been hard enough- even if at the end he had mastered it, thanks to the feline friend he made- and now he was supposed to burst a _rubber_ ball filled with _air_?

Oh boy. But it couldn't be _that_ much more complicated, right? Yes, of course it couldn't! _Obviously _pervy sage had made up that story of the fourth hokage developing this jutsu in _three_ years, just to make him try even harder. Right?

Right.

_Wrong_.

It was _a lot_ harder than the first stage of this weird training. And even after trying and trying for uncountable hours- and gaining sore palms and trembling muscles- Naruto still could _not_ make the stupid rubber ball burst!

He was laying on the grass, trying to catch his breath, and basically allowing his mind to roam around with no assigned direction. He closed his eyes, and thought about the scene he had seen before in the market, that little boy with his father wandering around and having a good time... Well, that somehow made him feel a little bit... strange, and not a good strange. Then he thought about the words pervy sage had told him...

"_I am not your father, I'm your teacher; you have to figure this out alone"_

_Not your father._

_Alone._

_...Father..._

_...Alone..._

He sighed. He really had been expecting that pervy sage could stick around, at least for a while...But of course not, he was so busy being a complete pervert and chasing around pretty women, as usual. Naruto huffed in indignation, and he opened his eyes again; it had been enough rest, it was time to continue practicing!

However, there was a gleam up above his head, in between of all those branches and leaves, and he chose not to stand up. It had been an instant really, just the fraction of a second... perhaps he was imagining things... ah, no. There was again, that little gleam lost in between that sea of green. Naruto blinked, and felt a shiver run down his spine when he guessed a hidden too-wide smile along with the gleam. He blinked once again when he saw the short girl materialising some meters above his head, just casually sitting on one of the lower branches.

"Chesh? What are you doing here?" He asked from his position on the floor.

"Watching" She smiled. "But that's what I always do."

"Yeah but, watching _me_?" He was confused.

"Indeed you, my friend."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

"Why not?"

Because she couldn't tell him that she was really curious about whatever business he and Jiraiya had in this trip, she couldn't tell him about the _bad_ feeling she had since the moment he stated he was going out of town, of course she couldn't. Besides, she was supposed to observe and remember after all, and even if she _loved_ stories, she had always preferred watching the scene first-hand, instead of having it told by someone else.

She diluted in the air and reappeared sitting cross-legged on the grass, next to him.

"How long have you been looking?" The blonde said.

"Long enough" It was a fairly simple answer for a fairly simple question.

"Oh. Wait, so you saw me burst the water balloon before?"

"Aye. Quite an impressive job, if I may add."

"Oh... thanks..."

They both allowed silence take over, each one thinking on their own stuff.

"Hey Chesh? Can I ask you a question?" He was cautious; one never knew when Cheshire could vanish away.

"You may, but that doesn't mean I'll answer, of course." She played with the little bells at her neck.

"You said you have your father... somewhere, right? I mean, he's alive, isn't he?"

"...Yes" She tried to guess where this was headed.

"So..." He started, unsure as how to continue.

"So...?" She mimicked.

"I mean, uhm, well... What is he like?" He just said. "Is he, you know, nice?"

Cheshire smiled at him, probably to hide her surprise.

"Why do you want to know that?" Answer a question with another question, once a gypsy had told her that.

"I don't know, I'm just curious, I guess." He seemed a little bit... embarrassed? Huh. Cute.

The girl chuckled.

"Oh, well, if you _really_ want to know... He's amazing. He's really tall, and is always there to offer a hand when you fall down. He's strong too, and I have never met anybody who can withstand looking at him in the eye while he's lecturing you... He can be tough, but he's a loving man deep down. And he takes duty _very_ seriously. I mean _really_ seriously." She shrugged. "I don't know, he's kind of cool, even if he's always busy in one thing or another... but oh, well, nobody's perfect."

"Sound like a good father." Did he had a tiny tint of jealousy in his voice?

"He is... well, as good as he can be. I told you, he's very busy, so he was never much around, aside from training lessons and stuff."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'..."

And she allowed her mind to wander around and remember the one-hundred and thirty-two times Father made her hit the trunk with a training sword because she couldn't hit it _just_ in the _right_ angle. It was always too high, too low, or the blade was angled three and a half degrees more than what it should be. She remembered her palms bleeding after that _looooong_ afternoon, and her feet killing her and she was just six years old! She wanted to take a nap and eat some cookies... But she _knew_ that later she was going to have to study some old scrolls about some ancient clan of ninjas that had originated a jutsu that could control any raging animal and perhaps some battle strategies... And she felt exhausted once again, even if now she was sitting there on the grass next to a friend.

But she also remembered her father's smile when she dominated the sword technique he was trying so hard to teach her. He had been proud. She had liked that.

* * *

Finally. After trying _so_ hard he finally had made the rubber ball burst.

...Well, not _exactly_ burst, but he was getting there, right? Sure, right now he only popped a hole on it, but he was definitely on the right track. Cheshire had stepped aside, laying against a tree trunk and just watching him while he trained- which made Naruto feel a little bit self-conscious, mind you- and he could feel her smile, even if he was not facing her. However, when he turned around, it was Jiraiya the one he found, telling him that he had made great progress and offering him a popsicle... it looked like the one that boy and his father were having together... He smiled and started to eat it right away, glancing around and noticing the dark-haired girl wasn't around anymore.

Pervy sage showed him a blank paper, then the same paper with a circle in the middle. And he drew the same circle in Naruto's palm; concentration? So to make the rubber ball burst he needed to focus? Ah... well...

He _had_ been yelled at the academy- along with Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru- for his lack of concentration. This might be a problem...

* * *

Oh, come on! Why was it _this_ difficult?!

Just... focusing should not be something _this_ hard! He was once again laying on the grass, and a lone leaf flew up to his forehead. He remembered some weird training Iruka-sensei tried to make the troublemakers do, something that involved a leaf and focusing... but they all just ignored the man and run off.

Man, he really should have listened.

A sigh arrived to his ears and he noticed the girl had came back at some point- he didn't knew exactly _when_, she was always so silent- and was once again watching him sitting on the grass, her back- straight as usual- against the bark of a tree.

Cheshire managed to avoid slapping her own face, she often forgot that _she_ was the one who was trained to maintain a perfect concentration no matter the situation, _she_ was the one that was taught to meditate for hours and hours and _hours_ until she acquired the perfect level of focus, until she was completely in control of her body and emotions. She sometimes forgot that she was different... ah, but she had defined her frontier for a reason. She shook her head to get rid of those unpleasant thoughts, and looked at her blonde friend once again; he had stood up and his eyes were closed, his breathing _finally_ steady... Waves and waves of chakra emanated from him, his hair getting wild with the power he was releasing...

The ball burst.

And Naruto went flying backwards- but what could one expect? It _had_ been an impressive release of power and energy- and skidded on the ground for some meters until Jiraiya stopped him.

Cheshire could tell the man was proud of his student, it took him a while, but he finally mastered the second step of the training. The girl stood up and walked up to them, with congratulations in the tip of her tongue. Jiraiya looked at her, curious, but refrained from asking anything- well, what would you expect? He _was_ a senin after all, he _was_ wise.

Huh? So apparently they had to move on once again? Oh, okay... Naruto- still on the floor- looked up at his friend.

"You coming, Chesh?"

Ah... Well, she probably _shouldn't_, right? But she had been invited, and nicely enough... And it had been a while since she actually used her legs to travel from one place to another, at a nice pace, _not running_...

Well...

Well.

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

**And I lay in here, asking myself, why do I enjoy writing so much about when Chesh gets hurt in a way or another...? **


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19! I decided to introduce another dearly held character of mine at the end, I'm not sure if you're going to like her... But let's see.**  
_

* * *

_Pop!_

Some grumbling.

Cheshire sighed. It had been going on for a while, ever since Jiraiya had instructed Naruto on the final stage for learning this new jutsu-thing. Now that he had understood rotation and power, he needed to be able to maintain that chakra sphere _inside_ the balloon, without making it burst. It was probably something about accumulating power and being able to release it _at the right time_, not a second before, not a second after.

_Pop!_

And it wasn't going very well, to be honest...

"Come on squirt, haven't you mastered it already?" Jiraiya smirked to his student.

"Well, I _could_ if you let me stop for a second and concentrate! I mean, I am I supposed to train if we keep walking?!" The blonde replied.

How? Well, _doing it_, of course. Life doesn't wait for one to stop, one should _keep moving_ for as long as one could, and try to grasp new... jutsus, techniques, knowledge, whatever is it that you want.

Right?

_Right._

Cheshire knew about that stuff, that's why she was walking ahead of them, always, always a step ahead.

_Pop!_

But really, those popping balloons were getting her on her nerves. The girl sighed once again, how much longer...? Why had she accepted to come with them anyway? She could have guessed their direction and travelled at her own pace- which was much faster- instead of advancing so... painfully _slow_.

_Pop!_

She flinched at the sound and groaned, perhaps a little bit too loud.

"What's the matter, huh girly?"

Cheshire looked back at Jiraiya, a couple of steps behind her. She just shrugged, making the little bells at her neck jiggle.

"Oh, nothing, I just not happen to like loud, sudden sounds. I've got sensitive ears." She admitted with a smile.

"Really? How so?"

"Just... I was trained to track things, so I had to sharpen my senses. It's really simple actually."

"Oh? So you could say you're _always_ listening around? Watching too, probably. Am I right?" The big man had a calm smile.

_Pop!_

"...Yeah" Where was he going with all this? "Yes, probably. That's basically the standard for... tracking things..."

He chuckled.

"I bet it is. Say, what did you say your last name was again?"

"I _didn't_ say it." Sharp tongue, polite but cold.

"Right... so, I guess I'll go to see how Naruto's doing back there."

And he stopped to wait for his student. Cheshire narrowed slightly her eyes, but kept on walking nevertheless. Sure, people would ask her questions often enough, but still... She had _not_ liked that conversation. Jiraiya _was_ one of the sannin; he surely was wise enough- despite his bad habits- to tie any loose end she might leave behind...

Ah, but he didn't looked as someone with ill intentions, right?

"_Watch out, sweetheart, watch out for everybody. I know firsthand how cruel this world can be, so be cautious and don't trust anybody but you and that bear of yours."_

"_Really, Heiwa? What about you then? What about Father, or-?"_

"_I know it might sound harsh, my dear; but it's best that way... It's best to be guilty of mistrust than to regret being too reckless. I don't want you to commit the same mistakes I made."_

"_Alright... thanks..."_

Cheshire shook her head, no, this was no time for reminisce the past. But no, she wouldn't allow anybody in; it was too risky, for her and for the rest. With Kakashi knowing basically everything was more than enough, thank you very much.

* * *

"So, who's your friend anyway?"

Naruto looked up with a scowl.

"What do you mean, _pervy sage_? You know her name already, she's Cheshire." Because really, what sort of question was that?

"Oh, yeah, yeah, but _who_ is she? Is she... your _girlfriend_...?" The big man leered.

"What? Yeah, right, just because you're a pervert doesn't mean everybody's like that, you know... Besides that would be weird... she's, well... she's _Chesh_!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I guess she's nice and all that, and she's a good friend... and I'm not saying she's ugly or anything, but I never saw her as a _girl_ actually" He shrugged. "I don't know, she's _just Cheshire_, I don't know how to explain it better than that..."

Jiraiya just laughed it off, but fell silent after a couple of seconds.

"Say, Naruto... How much do you know about her anyway?" The white-haired man said with a more serious face.

"_Sheesh_, how do you expect me to master this new jutsu if you just don't stop bugging me...?" He said, annoyed. "Not much, she's quite reserved 'bout her life. Why?"

"No reason... just... thought of something. But tell me what you _do_ know about her."

"...Couldn't you _teach_ me something instead of sticking your nose into Chesh's life...?" Naruto mumbled, but thought about the question anyway.

Well...

What did he knew about Cheshire? He frustrated himself with the fact that even after all this time he _still_ was in the dark when talking about this girl. Oh, he knew things about her all right, but he just felt as if there were so many things missing...

Cheshire was like a big question mark. Probably a question mark with a grin.

"I know she was born far away, but she didn't say were; and that she's got that weird accent that makes her 'r' sounds roll stronger. Ummm... She's, well, kind and nice and polite, and I mean with _everybody_, because she believes in offering kindness to strangers or something like that... I know she travels _a lot_, and she's meditating most of times- I have no idea why. I know that scar on her face was made by a sensei some time ago- which is really weird, I know- and that she think her father is really cool. And, oh, yeah, she speaks funny, I don't understand what she means half the time, and it's really hard to get her to answer a question straight. She's got this creepy too-wide grin that for some reason makes me nervous" He shrugged. "She's smart, and just _knows_ things. She's always _observing_ everything, and she's got a really cool jutsu called _Empathy-something_; in which she, uhmm, extends her chakra and she's able to _feel_ things, or emotions, or... Geez I don't know, I don't fully understand it. Oh, and she likes tea and the colour green, and cherries But... She _doesn't_ like when somebody asks her a too personal question... Nor she likes being told when to stay or when to leave..." He scratched his head. "I think that's basically everything I know about her."

Jiraiya looked at the girl ahead of them, walking-almost-gliding across the floor, with a straight back and light steps.

"So she's quite the mysterious character, huh? Mhhmm... If she was older she could have made a very interesting character for a novel..." He shook his head, he was sidetracking. "But she doesn't seem like a bad girl."

"I just told you, she's really _nice,_ are you deaf or something?" Naruto interjected.

"Shush, a grown up is trying to think up here, kid." The man closed his eyes. "Thing is... I feel as if I've seen her before; but... at the same time I'm _sure_ I've never met this girl before. It's like she reminds me of someone, but I don't know who exactly..."

"...I've never met anyone who could remind me of her, that's for sure..." The blonde muttered.

"It's a strange feeling, almost like a déjà vu..."

"Yeah, keep saying that, I just think you're getting too old to think straight..."

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT JIRAIYA, THE TOAD SAGE!?"

* * *

So this blonde woman was the oh-so-famous Tsunade?

Huh.

Oh dear Lord but she was a beautiful woman.

Cheshire smiled and suppressed a whistle; she knew how to appreciate beauty when she found it. A tiny fraction of herself felt slightly jealous of her, and she wished she had been born as pretty as her. Because Cheshire wasn't pretty and she knew it; her face was scarred and she was too short, too thin, she was wicked and broken. And her smile scared people more often than not and her eyes were haunting. No, she was not 'pretty', at least not in the conventional standards of beauty.

She looked around the table, starting from the beautiful Tsunade, next to her assistant- or something- Shizune, then Cheshire herself sitting in an extra chair at the side of the table- because of course, she was always the extra, the stranger, the plus-one not always invited- then Naruto- eating away his food like he had been starving for two months- and Jiraiya.

"Okay, I'll cut the chase" Jiraiya started. "I'm sure you heard about the death of the Third Hokage; Tsunade, the elders of the Village Hidden in the leaves think it's best to name _you_ as the Fifth Hokage."

Silence before the storm.

"WHAT?" Came Naruto's disbelief.

And from there onwards things just got worse. No, the blonde would not tolerate any disrespect whatsoever towards the deceased Hokage, nor towards the position itself. No, Tsunade didn't care about the job, or about what Naruto thought.

Jiraiya and Shizune just sighed, trying to calm down- with no avail- their respective partners.

But no, they just _had_ to take it outside, where Tsunade kept on mocking the boy- and defeating him in a fight with just a flick on the forehead, but she _was_ one of the sannin after all- and bet against him that if he could master the Rasengan- so _that_ was what the new jutsu was called- in a week, then she woul admit she was wrong about the Hokage position, and would even give him her necklace, which apparently had belonged to the First Hokage once.

So much for a peaceful dinner.

* * *

Naruto was in his room, thinking about the bet, all by himself. He didn't know where Jiraiya was- or Cheshire, for that matter, but the girl appeared and disappeared whenever she wanted; he was fairly sure she would reappear soon enough, or at least to watch the outcome of the bet.

There was a knock on the door, and he opened it to find Shizune looking worried.

That was odd.

The girl told him about the tragic past Tsunade had, and about the necklace being 'cursed'- since both her little brother and lover died while wearing it- on the hopes that he turned down the bet, since it would appear that the accessory had a special value- filled with memories and all that- to the blonde woman.

But hearing the story only made him want to try harder. Fair enough, it would seem that it was time to head out and start training.

* * *

"What did you lost?"

Tsunade looked up, snapping out of her reverie. While she had been walking down the memory lane, sitting on top of the big, stone entrance of the town, that girl in the white dress who accompanied Jiraiya and the little brat had appeared, sitting across her. Cheshire, she said her name was?

"What?" Her answer was sharp, but then again, she had been interrupted.

"I asked what did you lost. Asides from gambles and money, I mean." The girl repeated in a calm voice.

"What on earth do you mean with that?" Tsunade answered.

The girl just shrugged.

"You seem as the sort of woman who lost a thing. Or more than one, judging by your face. You have 'sorrow' written all over your face."

The woman looked at the girl sceptically.

"Now how would you know that, huh?"

"It takes misery to know misery." She just shrugged.

"Yeah? Well, you don't strike me as the kind of girl who's been through a lot." She studied the short girl sitting across her, with a quizzical look.

"I never said my life has been a living Hell so far; but I'm no stranger to misery. Neither are you. I assume you've lost someone precious to you, yes?" Because Cheshire could go straight to the point, if she felt like it.

Tsunade looked at her, but said nothing. Who was this girl anyway?

"No need to give me that look, ma'am. I'm sorry if I offended you in some way... At any rate, sometimes a silence speaks volumes. You... You'd make an amazing Hokage, if you wanted to, you know? ...Not that you _should_ do it if you truly don't want to, but that's just my opinion. There's no sense into being _stuck_ at something that makes you miserable."

"Why are you here?" The sannin's temper _was_ legendary after all.

"Oh, no particular reason. I just felt like talking to you, because, you know, you seem somewhat sad to me, and I don't like that. Seeing sad people, that is. And because I think you're truly beautiful and I was merely curious of you. I hope that doesn't offends you, ma'am."

Tsunade just shrugged it off; there were a lot of things on her mind to deal with this odd girl right now...

"Don't worry, I'm leaving, I'll bother you no more." Cheshire suddenly said. "I'll leave you to your thoughts; besides, I'm late for an appointment to which I never quite confirmed my assistance."

* * *

Cheshire was walking down the road, alone, at night; her white dress reflecting the moon's light, making her seem as an apparition, a lonely ghost. She stopped at the edge of the forest, she knew Okku wouldn't fully approve what she was about to do, so she chose to leave the bear out of this. With a sigh, entered the place with resolved steps, not daring to look back even once, because looking back was not a thing she was used to do.

Of course she had been here before, and she knew this place like the back of her own hand; the mist always covering the ground, the tall trees looming over any little chance of visitor; the atmosphere of _danger_ that could be felt. She wrapped her arms around her torso, and kept on walking, her eyes looking down, lost in her thoughts.

_Bad_ idea; moreover when she _knew_ all the hidden threats this place had to offer.

Fast as a lightning, there was an enormous white blur, and the girl was pushed towards a tree with a loud _snap_- probably from her arm, which hit the bark at an odd angle. She had almost no time to shake off the shock and stare back at her aggressor.

And she almost regretted she did.

Well, _damned be all_.

Furiously white fur- it hurt to look directly at it- and a pair of angry yellow eyes. Three pairs of strong legs- each of the six appendages had a set of sharp claws- and a half tail, torn off in some battle. Impressively sharp fangs that shone in the night, thanks to the drawn-back lips that traced a ferocious snarl, and pointy, long ears that resembled horns, stuck against the giant skull of the creature.

But Cheshire had no time at all to appreciate the- sickly twisted- animal before the wolf-like monster struck at her once again, throwing her on the air and pinning her down with one gigantic paw, no doubt in intent to keep its prey from running away while it devoured it. Cheshire saw the- completely unnaturally big- mouth open and approach her to finish her off and...

"SANGUINI!" The girl shouted in fear, a high-pitched sound. "SANGUINI!"

The creature closed its mouth, but kept the girl into place, while it inspected her with one eyeball- which was almost as big as Chesh's head.

"I can't believe you're here, Whisper. But why? That teacher of yours is not around."

"Can... Can you please let go of me, Sanguini?"

The creature tsk'ed her tongue and released the girl.

"That is not my name and you know it." The monstrous wolf said. "Yet you keep insisting on calling me so; you're probably the only one foolish enough to do that."

Cheshire- still on the floor- smiled feebly.

"Neither is Whisper my name, so we're even. I think you dislocated my elbow... And I'll have quite a lot of bruises in the morning..."

The wolf just grinned a nightmare-like grin.

"That's your own fault, silly girl, appearing in my forest like that, with no notice beforehand. You haven't been here in a long time; you can't expect me to wait eternally for you. Can you at least stand by yourself, or do you need me to drag you...?" The animal's tone was mocking.

Cheshire- or Whisper, since it was how the creature knew her by- groaned and stood up with effort. Yes, her elbow was very much indeed dislocated. And the rest of her body completely sore, but she could walk.

"So what are you doing here? I told you your sensei is not around this time. Is there any particular reason why you'd enter my forest, or is it just a suicidal impulse?"

"It's _not_ your forest, Sanguini. This might be your territory, but the whole forest doesn't belong to you."

"Not _now_. I have to share it with _bears_ and other stupid creatures like that, and with some of the stupidest of _my own kind_ too. And with that teacher of yours; but at least he doesn't gives me too much trouble."

"Where is he, anyway?" The girl asked.

"Beats me. You know he comes and goes almost like you do, I guess he's around, doing something, not that I particularly care about him."

"Oh..." The girl sounded slightly disappointed. "But I didn't come here to talk to him..."

"Oh...? Then why did you come...? I don't suppose that to see that righteous bear, since you can always summon him wherever you are."

"What? Oh, no, no, leave Okku out of this. I came because I wanted to see you, Sanguini."

"Me?" The wolf laughed a merciless laugh. "You honour me, your majesty! But why would someone as mighty as you want to be stuck with the likes of me, I wonder?"

"Quit the mocking, are we allies or not?" Cheshire meant business now.

The wolf looked at her, stared at her, long and hard.

"Yes. Your mother was always good to me, despite our differences. You never represented a threat to me or _my _forest neither; and... you're not _that_ bad, for a human, that is. You could say we're allies, at least for now."

"Are those the only reasons?"

"...Why, are you accusing me of having a selfish reason I'd like to keep for myself, as for why I enjoy having you around from time to time...? If you do, then you're damn right. But you came into here meaning business, so let's go to a more comfortable place, shall we?"

Without waiting for an answer, the animal started walking away, its long six legs making it advance so fast that Cheshire had to run to keep up. Finally they arrived to a clearing, with a small pond and rock formations around, where a pack of wolves- and rather big ones- were resting. Some of them raised their heads and sniffed the air at the arrival of the newcomer, but relaxed almost instantly when they recognised her smell. What could she say; after all, Cheshire _was_ one of them. The six-legged animal led the girl to a particularly big rock, where it sprawled down, its front pair of paws crossed in front of her. Cheshire sat down in front of her.

"Well? What is it, Whisper? What is it so important that you had to come all the way here?"

"...Can you at least wait till I fix my elbow, somehow...?"

"That can wait till the morning. If you were in such a hurry to meet me, then you'll withstand a little bit of pain while we talk, hmmm?"

Of, curse her and her devilish nature, that monstrous wolf with her cold voice.

"I want to know some things, Sanguini."

"And you are so sure I've got the answers?" The wolf asked in a sardonic voice.

"You've been around a _long_ time now. And it's not for nothing that they say 'smart as a Demon', you know..."

"Oh, but I'm just a minor Demon. I'm not nearly as wise as a Tailed Beast, nor as powerful, nor as old. Well, almost as old."

"...I've met two Jinchurikis so far, you know; two boys with Tailed Beasts sealed inside."

That seemed to capture the Wolfish Demon attention.

"Which ones?"

"The ones holding Shukaku and Kyuubi."

"Interesting. It's been a long time since I've seen any of those two... The likes of ours should _not_ be sealed inside humans, and to seal the _Tailed Beasts_ of all Demons..."

"I know, I know, it's stupid. They're really the most powerful of all you?"

The wolf nodded.

"From the one-tailed, to the nine-tailed, even with different variations of their power, they're all placed in the highest step of the Demon ladder. Then it comes my own kind- which is not anywhere close of acquiring that enormous amount of strength the Tailed have- and then, on the lowest step, Imps and the likes, Demons of Desire, Sloth, Rage... Those who're most seen dealing with humans. They like to mess with them, play with their minds, torture them..." The animal shook her head. "A complete waste of time."

"You'd rather create chaos and bloodshed, wherever you go, and avoid getting too close to any human creature, don't you, Sanguini?"

"Ah, I'm touched that you know me so well. You _could_ have gone to any of those tricky, lowly Demons, you know, some of them live in this forest too."

"You know I _don't_ like them" Cheshire clenched her jaw, reminding a _bad_ episode.

"And you like _me?"_ The wolf Demon looked at her, disbelievingly.

"Well... I- Don't let Okku listen to this, but yes. I like you more than them, at any rate, even if I don't like your... evilness... Besides, you weren't born as a Demon; you turned into one thanks to a _bad-"_

"_Enough_. I don't need to be told my own life by such a young life like yours. Ask what you want to ask before my patience wears thin... I enjoy our...'friendship', I wouldn't want to eat you, not now."

"Fine, fine, I am truly sorry, Spiltblod."

"Oh? First time you use my name..."

"It amazes me how your name means the exact same thing, no matter the language from the place they speak of you. Spildtblod. Sang-versé, Kobosu-Ketsueki..."

"Spilled Blood. I know my name."

"...Right, it was just a thought, Sanguini. Anyway... there are two things I'd like to know about... I'd like to know more about the Tailed Beasts on the first place, how were they created, their powers, what could come out of trying to use them for whatever reason any person could have..."

"That's rather specific, Whisper. Why would you want to know about that?"

"I... have a bad feeling... There's another thing I want to know about too."

"And that would be...?"

"I've met a man that seems to be up to no good. Orochimaru, does the name ring a bell?"

"...I might have heard it before. Why would it matter to me that a stupid human is doing evil things around? If any, I'm quite glad."

"Well... I've done some digging around... what do you know about any human attempting to acquire immortality...?"

"..."

"So, it's as bad as I assumed..."

"Worse."

Cheshire sighed, and prepared herself for a long night of secret-sharing. Perhaps when they were done she would finally be able to fix her elbow- Oh Lord it was hurting her, _a lot_- and do something about the bruises. Perhaps. And then maybe endure a long speech from Okku as for why he hated dealing with Sanguini and the likes of her. She sighed one more time.

* * *

**So... that was it. Hope you enjoyed. Personally, I love Sanguini, and tried to made a way that made sense to introduce her into this story . Fun fact, initially she had grey fur and was blind, but I decided to change that at the last minute.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Oh. My. God. I can't even begin to ask for forgiveness for updating so late... I've got a few awkward excuses if that's any consolation..**

**I started my Summer vacations. Meaning I'm less and less inside my house, and more and more outside, fangirling over Jack Frost- after writing a oneshot I've been left with the slight desire of writing a longer story-, running around, managing to get invited to free parties, trying- for once in my life- to get a tan, and going in improvised vacations for days. As in "hey, we should go camping tomorrow" kind of improvised vacations.  
**

**But that's all about my lame excuses- on with the chapter!**

* * *

"Of _all_ people, of _all_ creatures; of _every single_ ally and or acquaintance thou have, why, cub, why would thou ask for _her_ help?!"

"...I know you don't approve."

The bear snorted.

"_Of course_ I don't approve. She's a wretched creature, she's dark and wicked; and for the love of everything that's sacred, she's a _Demon_!" Oh boy, but he was angry.

"She wasn't born a-"

"I KNOW. I've shared my forest with her unholy presence long enough to know what she was and she is not; what she wasn't before but now she's become!"

"...Sorry."

"Thou apologise?" The big animal snorted... again. "Thou _know_ I loathe the likes of her; thou _know_ I loathe her logic and methods, a creature like herself has not a grain of honour!"

"...I know, but-"

"She's selfish and chaotic, that tainted creature; she seeks pleasure into killing and thrill into playing with lives!"

"Well, yeah, but if mayb-"

"AND YET THOU CHOOSE TO SEEK FOR _HER_ HELP!" The big animal roared, agitated.

Cheshire flinched, it was not _that_ unusual for the bear to be angry, but his rage was almost never directed towards her. The dark haired girl blinked and licked her lips, okay, so maybe he _was_ right to be angry after all, and she _did_ understood if his loyal companion felt a somewhat twinge of betrayal- after all, he certainly did _not_ like Sanguini- but still he shouldn't scream at her like that; she was no child! She knew what she was doing! ...Or at least she hoped she did.

"Okku." She said, her tone carefully neutral.

"What?!" ...And he was still angry. So much for a pleasant morning.

"I am sorry; I do know you don't approve, but you don't have to. This is not the first time our opinions are different, and it's not mandatory that we always agree."

The bear huffed some air into her face, and studied his petite companion. Her face was deprived of any emotion or gesture, her eyes wide, calm but firm, and there was no trace of smirk or smile on her lips, but a steady line instead. Okku let out a mirthless chuckle.

"Sure. Get out of this with that silver tongue of yours, that oh-so-mighty diplomacy. Bah, your father would be certainly pleased of that tiny speech you just gave me."

"I... I just... sorry. It's a reflex." She said, the emotions finally flowing into her eyes again.

"I know that; when there's _too much_ just block everything out, and speak _politically correct_ words, right? Find the loophole in the contract, acquire the upper hand; don't let anyone doubt your _authority_." He smirked. "And when that doesn't help either, run away and make a new face."

Cheshire was speechless- and that was not a usual thing. Looking hurt, she wrapped her arms around herself.

"...Or you could just downright call me a coward, _bear_." Cold, cold; why so cold little Chesh?

"Mmm... Perhaps this bear was too harsh. I didn't mean to call thou a coward, child." He finally had calmed himself, at least just a bit.

"You still think it, don't you?"

"Now that's unfair. Thou know my way of thinking, yet I would never dare to call thou such a thing. I just find myself concerned about thou." He softly caressed her forehead with his warm tongue.

"Don't be. I'll be _fine_; it's just a matter of time. And I've got you with me, right? Who would dare to attack such a mighty bear like you?"

The animal smiled- that is, if bears can smile- and playfully tackled Cheshire to the grass. She squealed, trying to get Okku off her.

"But... answer me this, why? Why would you ask for _her_ help?" He looked serious again, but not angry.

The girl lifted the giant paw that was a top of her mouth, and flashed him a short grin, before getting serious too.

"Sanguini is old, she's been around this world for many years; she's older than you even. And she knows stuff, the sort of stuff that's usually hidden from humans. Besides, you said it so, she's a Demon after all, and it takes a Demon to know the likes of them. She's the perfect source of information for me." She said, counting some of the reasons she had.

"Still... Still she's dangerous, cub. She could have eaten you, or tortured you, just out of mere boredom. She _dislocated_ your arm and mocked you while you tried to fix it by yourself. And all those bruises... She could betray you any moment."

"She won't. She finds me amusing enough so as not to kill me; at least not for as long as I don't bother her _too_ much. And she remembers, Okku. She might be filled with... hatred and rage; she might even have given up to insanity, but she still remembers. She remembers my mother and their friendship well enough-"

"Demons are not known for their honour; she could still betray you."

"Aye, she could, and she would if I allowed her to; so I'll focus on avoiding her anger. I'd like to keep on her good grace; she results a very... useful ally."

"_Seen one Demon, seen them all_. Isn't that what you've been taught?"

"Sanguini might be the only exception to the rule, since she wasn't born as one. After all, she still lives in the forest, and takes care of the wolves in there."

The bear finally lifted, and allowed the girl to sit up.

"Thou... truly believe a creature like her can still achieve redemption...? That would be incredibly merciful, or stupidly naive. Probably the second."

"No, I don't. Nor I think her nature will ever change." Because she wasn't blind nor stupid, good was good, bad was bad.

"Good. At least thou managed to keep some common sense in that head of yours. Or something like that."

"Or something like that" She grinned.

"But still... watch your back, just in case. Her kind are not known for giving things for free, and their contracts are always tricky. You've been asking her a lot of questions lately... and she never asked anything in return... let's just hope that it's because she _likes_ having you around, and not because she's got some twisted plan for you. She could ask you to die for her in return any day..."

"Okku, I am no fool. I never signed anything that could bind me to Sanguini, and I never will."

"Still, be careful. They don't say 'smart as a Devil' for no reason."

* * *

"_That's what you want to know, huh?" Said the Demon in her mocking voice. "Fine then, answers you seek, answers you'll get."_

"_Thanks, Sangui-"_

"_Do _not_ interrupt me, human. I'll talk and you'll listen, understood?"_

_Cheshire said nothing._

"_Now that's more like it. Ah, but where to start, where to start... perhaps in the beginning... or perhaps I should start at the end and then laugh while you wreck that twisted mind of yours trying to understand the story, hmmm?" _

_Cheshire said nothing._

_Sanguini tsk'ed her tongue._

"_I'm feeling quite generous, so consider yourself lucky. Now answer me, what's a Demon?"_

_The girl blinked, one hand holding her injured elbow so as not to move it too much._

"_That's a rather general question, Sanguini." She replied._

"_Of course it is, and it's _your damn fault_. Not precisely yours, but yes of your kind. Humans tend to name 'Demon' whatever figures as a threat to them, whatever looks dangerous and they can't quite explain. That's a Demon in their eyes... but you know that already, if I can recall correctly you've been called Demon too..." The animal grinned mischievously. "See? You and I are not that different at all..."_

"_Sanguini, please..." Cheshire looked down, between sad and ashamed. _

"_What? Where's your clever wit and silver tongue now girl? No sense of humour...? Oh, shame on you, your Majesty!"_

"_Is it really necessary that you-?"_

"_Yes. Yes it is. Now quiet and let me keep on with my story. Truth is, what they call 'Demon' can be a lot of things; I wasn't born in the piths of Hell, yet I'm a Demon too. You know my story, I was a wolf, I lived in here... then I ended up like this, many, many years ago. Some others, those with a more impish nature, those who resemble human shape a bit more... those are the ones that should be called Demons truly, those survive without purpose more than chaos and evil- which is fine by me, really; but they can get annoying from time to time."_

"_And you're different from them because...?"_

_Sanguini barked a bitter laugh, and stomped on the ground with one of her six paws. _

"_Are you _that_ stupid, really? You know me. Your mother knew me. Look around." _

_Cheshire did, and observed the pack of wolves resting around her._

"_I _remember_. I haven't given myself fully to the insanity... yet. I do like blood and chaos, just because, I do enjoy to torn living things apart, mainly out of fun. But I remember. I remember everything, and I'm still here. I am a Demon, but so much different than those others I just told you about..."_

_Both fell silent, and Cheshire inspected the enormous wolf-like animal in front of her. Her haunting yellow eyes, the furiously white fur... and those legs, those paws, those claws... wherever Sanguini stepped, the paw print would instantly fill with blood as soon as she lifted her paw. It was a strange phenomenon, but Cheshire never dared to ask why that happened._

"_As for the Tailed Beasts... Know that they're also called Chakra Beasts. That's what they are, more likely. Beasts made completely out of chakra, with chaotic predisposition, and _very_ powerful. They and I were born around the same age, yet they are far more powerful than what I could ever be. They're Demons, yeah, but their... physiology, you could call it, is a lot more different than mine. So tell me... seen one Demon, seen them all?" She mocked._

"_Yeah. I mean, at least the way one should act towards any of you." The girl simply said._

"_Oh? And that would be...?"_

"_To stay _away_. Leave Demons to themselves, and never made a contract with them, not even try to get their power."_

"_And yet here you are, talking to one of that kind! Ah, you're such a hypocrite, you know that?"_

_Cheshire fell silent. How could she prove her wrong when she was right? Ah, one can't simply win a debate against a Demon. _

* * *

_Brilliant._

For all those times she felt proud of herself for always being one step ahead, for always being earlier than everybody else...

Oh, amazing Cheshire, the one who vanishes in the air and whispers to the wind. Her-with-many-names, child of the trees; girl who frolics with Demon-wolves and knower of too-many secrets- among other titles she wasn't too willing to remember right now.

Just _brilliant_, silly girl, you lost what could have possibly been the most epic battle of this century.

And now, she was just going to feel herself satisfied with second-hand stories- which were most of times, exaggerated, misunderstood, or just simply too-lacking in details.

But stop right there or you might even trip yourself in your hurry, because it wasn't _completely_ over, not at least, almost, but not yet. Everybody was looking plainly beaten, and there was an unresponsive Naruto lying on the ground, Tsunade holding him, trying desperately to infuse him with a breath of life.

...Okay...

Wait.

No, _not_ okay.

Her friend was there, lying, possibly on his way to being dead and she was just standing there, in the middle of all the chaos and havoc- she was always there, just in the middle of things, caught between everything and nothing, ethereal Cheshire, vanishing Cheshire- without any more action than blinking.

"What the Hell?" She managed to mutter to herself before sprinting over her fallen comrade, her mind still to numb to properly order her body to disappear and reappear. The girl skidded to a stop just before colliding with the unconscious blonde's body, and after assessing that yes, he was completely out of it and in a pretty much _fucked up_ state, she searched for Tsunade's eyes; for an answer, and begged to Heavens that it was a good one.

After all, her life could be resumed into a long and exhausting journey of playing hide-and-seek with questions and answers, in no particular order.

However, the woman's eyes held no promising future at all. The blonde woman barely glanced at the newcomer before closing her eyes, focusing into trying to save the boy's life. A tear strolled down her cheek. Then two. Three.

How many more?

Well, it was not important, was it?

Cheshire furrowed her brow, was it, really? Was it supposed to end like this for him, of all people? No, no, no, a thousand times no...

Useless little fool Cheshire, why couldn't you learn proper medical ninjutsu? Perhaps that way you'd be a _little_ more of help. Had he been able to swallow, she couldn't offer Naruto any solace on the little flask of pearly blood she carried, since she had ran out of it- Damn Sanguini! Damn her and her habit of getting the girl ridiculously hurt.

On a side note, the part of her that kept a somewhat clear mind gently reminded her to refill the flask. The rest of her shushed the little voice; it was no time for her to think about those menials things, _a friend was dying_ for the love of God! And yet she was so useless...

"Oh, would you look at that?" The cold slippery voice. She didn't even had to turn around to know it belonged to Orochimaru. "So the little girl with too much bravado finally showed up. You certainly succeeded at perking my interest, if only just a bit... such a shady girl, a veil of darkness envelopes you..." Her eyes were still focused on the orange-clad ninja before her. "Yet, it's not that hard to find answers when you know where to ask..." Was he really behind her, or was she just hearing things? "Ain't it so, little Cheshire? Or should I say Malchance, Mercy, or Silence?"

Cheshire gently shook her head, managing to avoid the tears filling her eyes from falling.

"Many people know those names. You should get your facts straight, what you learnt was no secret at all..." Her voice barely a whisper, mind set into more important things.

"Is that so?" He chuckled. "Perhaps then another name would do to satisfy you? Would that be enough for you?"

What?

Wait... just...

WHAT?

Was he just bluffing?

Of course he was; he had to be.

"Would that be enough for you, Rega-"

"SHUT UP!" Cheshire suddenly roared, cutting the voice in mid-sentence.

Except that _no_, he wasn't bluffing.

How dared he? How dared he try to pronounce that name? How dared he even think of it, it was a pure name, one to be said with respect! It was no name to be spat out from such a wretched creature as himself, and every fibre of her not-entirely-sane being forbid him from that precise instant from even attempting at calling her by that name.

That was her name.

That was _not_ her name.

Wait a second, who was she once again...?

Between her inner turmoil and distorted angles a starving wolf was soundlessly snarling, angry, because it was _not_ his business to meddle into those affairs, and he should leave her _alone_, instead of prying.

_Away._

_Keep him away._

_Keep them away._

_All of them. Or you'll die._

Now, now, little Cheshire, why so serious all of the sudden? Where are your smiles and your gentle touches? Where are the soft sighs caused by those big bright eyes that marvel at this world?

"_Don't let them close"_ Malchance grumbled.

"_Watch out for them"_ Aisha supported.

"_So be it."_ Cheshire thought.

Oh wait. They were all Cheshire. All of them.

None of them.

"SHUT UP!" She roared once again, and finally decided to turn around and face the man that had the oh-so-big-balls to aggravate her so much.

But there was nothing, nothing besides the chaos that remained from the fight. Nothing, nothing; nothing to eat and she was _starving_... Had she imagined everything? Just a delusion, a product from her wicked brain?

She heard some stirring and a pleased sigh.

Oh thanks to whatever force there is out there, Naruto was alive. She allowed a small smile grace her lips, and softly caressed his hair- he was alive, but still unconscious.

Cheshire caught Tsunade staring at her, probably because of her sudden appearance, but more likely thanks to her sudden outburst from earlier; but blessed be that woman, she said nothing.

And sometimes silences speak volumes.

Sanguini's ever-mocking voice somehow found its way into the girl's brain.

"_If I recall correctly you've been called a Demon too. See? You and I are not that different at all."_

And fearless Cheshire feared the possibility of admitting that Sanguini might have been right.

* * *

**Here's a secret: I hated writing this chapter. I physically hated it. Not the first half, that was... okay... But the rest. Ugh. I. Don't. Even. It just wouldn't come up right. Now off I go to sleep, since it's 3 am already. **

**Goodbye and sweet dreams.  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay so... Happy new year to all of you! I hope you started an amazing year, you all of my lovely reviewers- and those sneaky ones who read and favourite and follow but still refuse to mark their presence with a single comment too. Though it would be nice to hear your opinion once in a while. Just saying. **

**Anyway, here's a thing that might be a liiiiiittle bit sidetracked from the story- sort of. Once, I did my fair share of "What do the Naruto characters think of you" personalized thingy quiz-story-smthng trade, and I figured that since it's new year and stuff, hell, I could start doing it again. So if anyone's interested, here's the link with the info and stuff. I love saying 'and stuff'. ( quizilla dot teennick dot com/stories/23783504/naruto-personalized-trades-open). Just, you know, replace with an actual "."**

**Enough rambling.  
**

* * *

Even after the hot springs short adventure, her mood was still somewhat sour. Polite as ever, silent as the most, Cheshire walked ahead of the group, at a safe distance, eyes closed and humming a tune.

"_So be it."_ She had said to herself, hadn't she? Yes, yes she had.

None of them were responsible for her problems, none of them should take charge or be of aid; lonely Cheshire could take the world by herself- with Okku by her side of course- as it had always been so. After all, she was different, and she had clearly traced the imaginary frontier between herself- and her bear- and _the rest_.

Silly Cheshire, foolish girl, trusted too early, relaxed too much, now you're losing it and running late.

But... not everything was lost, because it was a good habit to count one's blessings even in the darkest of times. She briefly glanced back to the rest of the party, Naruto was complaining about being hungry, Jiraiya was ignoring his pleas to stop and rest; Tsunade was teasing him- and not in the most polite of ways- while Shizune was frantically trying to make the group act sane, or at least mildly normal.

Chesh smiled, okay, blessing number one: none of them were dead. And one of them was significantly stronger after that hell of a battle- which she had to listen on a second-hand story, fragmented and perhaps a little bit more exaggerated. Yes, no deaths were _good_.

Then, Konohagakure had a new Hokage after all. An incredibly strong, somewhat ill-tempered and grumpy beautiful woman; but a good Hokage nevertheless. That was not a small fact to give thanks for.

Besides, Tsunade was an amazing medic ninja, and that painted a good scenery for Kakashi, Sasuke, and even Rock Lee.

Okay, so life was not _that_ bad after all. The girl sighed tiredly, and with a hand ruffled her own hair.

"Huh? Hey Chesh, what happened to you?" Naruto's voice made everybody to suddenly look at her.

Without even turning around, she mused out loud.

"That's a rather general question, my friend; would you care to be a wee more specific?"

The swishing around of her hair made the nape of her neck and upper part of her shoulders visible to the rest, which meant they could clearly see a painful-looking bruise on her left shoulder, and the black swirls of a tree tattooed on her right shoulder blade.

The blonde boy jogged until he caught up to his friend.

"Yeah, were you hurt? That bruise looks pretty bad." He said, trying to look casual.

Damn Sanguini and her habit of getting Cheshire ridiculously hurt! ...But she couldn't really tell him that a _wolf-like Demon_ had used her as a ragdoll before having the manners to talk to her.

"Oh, no, it's nothing. I was a little bit silly with a... _friend_, and managed to fall hard against the floor. Really, no big deal, I'm fine." She said, shrugging.

"That happened to you with a friend...? Really Chesh, a sensei who slashes half your face, a friend that gets you hurt..." He chuckled. "Are you sure you're keeping the right friends?"

Cheshire responded his chuckle with one of her own; well, he _did_ have a point after all. She casually encircled his waist with one of her arms, like a natural reaction.

"Then, my dearest blonde knucklehead, I must say that statement speaks lousy about you, since I consider your humble being as a close friend. Should I then re-think this friendship?"

It was in jest, nothing but a silly joke. Still, he didn't like it.

"Oh come on, don't say those things..." He muttered.

Cheshire just smiled in return, yes; it definitely was a friendship worth keeping; even if she was going to have to maintain him in the dark about many details of her life.

"Hey, kiddo" Came Tsunade's voice from the back. "What's that?"

Both the blonde and the dark haired stopped on their tracks at the call. Next thing Cheshire knew, the older woman was right behind her, getting her hair out of the way, and inspecting her tattoo.

"...A tattoo" She answered, because she liked answers that stated the obvious.

"Where did you get this?"

"Somewhere... far from here; with a lot of trees and some miracles." Because she also liked vague answers.

Tsunade kept on admiring the swirling pattern of the branches in the little slender black tree; it had no leaves, but a million thin branches.

"_Why_ did you get this?" She asked later; ah, a sensible enough question. Now, Cheshire liked those questions.

"Because it's a statement." And turning her head around, she offered a shy smile, her lower calves already translucent in case anyone wanted to push the conversation when she was clearly done.

Surprisingly, Tsunade just nodded, and fell in pace with Jiraiya, her own apprentice, an of course, the cute pig they kept as a pet.

When the two younger kids distances themselves once again, she chose to talk to her fellow sannin.

"Who's her?" She asked him.

"Oh? The girlie? I'm not quite sure myself, she calls herself Cheshire though. Why? Did you notice... something?" Jiraiya replied, a curious eyebrow rising.

"That tattoo, have you seen it before?" She just said, because she did _not_ liked to run around in pointless conversations.

"Actually it rings a bell, but I can't quite recall..."

"That's the High Forest brand. Their allies carry that tattoo on their skin; so as everybody knows their loyalty." She narrowed her eyes, looking at the back of the girl.

"But... But I thought that was just ancient stories; you mean they're still alive?" The white-haired man asked carefully.

"I thought so too, but I guess we were both mistaken."

By that time Shizune prodded into the conversation, asking what on Earth they were talking about.

"The High Forest, it's a place far from here, perhaps you're too young to know about it." Jiraiya started. "Rumour has it it's a place where Spirits and Demons play, and some... interesting characters used it as safe haven. They were supposed to be travelling people of different occupations, some were scribes, storytellers, warriors, mercenaries... the popular word for them was Wanderers. They knew many things and secret jutsus, and all that jazz. But honestly, I find it hard to believe, that this girl is one of them, I mean. They disappeared along the time of the Last Nation, didn't they? They were scarce already during the Second Shinobi World War, and they had completely disappeared by the Third one, leaving no trace behind. It might be just a coincidence." He shrugged.

"Yes, it might be just a coincidence." The blonde agreed.

Tsunade looked at the girl once again. She had seemed nice enough, even if a little weird. She was going to need to ask around on more information about her, just in case though. After all, she was going to be the Hokage, and her job was to know her village.

* * *

Her lower back itched.

That was _not_ a good sign. She felt the mark burning her skin, and despite not being superstitious, she took it as a bad omen. She clicked her tongue and sighed, okay, so it was time to make a list- because Cheshire believed in making lists.

Item number one on the list: _run_.

She had been losing too much time already. Had it been fun? _Hell yeah_.

She had even made new friends, she had learnt many new things... but too much time spent on the same place would offer nothing but an- almost- endless amount of disgraces, all in different shades of colourful damnations. And that was certainly bad.

How much time she had before she _needed_ to get _away_? About a month, probably, if not less- but it was always less anyway. She had a lot of things to do, a lot of things to fix, a lot of debts to pay and accounts to adjust. Ah, so little time to do so many things...

Okay, okay, no rambling now. No, not even in your mind.

Come on, set a list of priorities, rationalise a little harder, try not to get crazy.

* * *

"_Father? Why do we live here?" Little R... With her big bright eyes asked one day._

_The man torn his eyes apart from the- seemingly important- papers he was reading, and looked at his daughter._

"_What? Don't you like it? I particularly think the forest is quite pretty." He said, matter-of-factly. _

_The little girl shook her head._

"_No, no, I mean _here_" And she stressed the last word, filling it with the heavy meaning she meant._

"_Oh" He fell silent for a while. There was no easy way to explain so many bloodshed and persecution to an innocent little child. "Because there, on the big world outside here, things are different. We are different than them. We listen to the wind and play with wild animals; we believe in living at peace, and we are in charge of keeping many secrets."_

"_The things in the library, you mean?" She said, hopeful._

"_Yes, some of the secrets are there. Some others are in our traditions. We used to live somewhere else, many years ago, but then... them people wanted to acquire ours secrets, they got jealous and... Hunted us..." He trailed off; it was not an easy fragment of their national history._

"_Like what happened with the Wanderers?" _

"_Sort of. Except that they were always much more secretive and hard to find; when they started to get chased, they just disappeared." He shrugged. "They were always really weird, always appearing when needed, but impossible to find... and they always made it clear that they were completely neutral; I can't think of one of them ever wanting to take sides into a political dispute... No, they were always knights of balance and equilibrium, our story... ours it's a bit different." He coughed, gathering his thoughts. "We were a strong nation once, respected, admired, and even feared. It's said that the name of one of us was all it took to put an end to any disagreement between the most powerful villages, however; we've always been of reserved nature. Then a betrayal happened, an invasion, and most of our people died that time... the water turned red and the wind stopped singing... What once was an enormous village was reduced to barely a dozen people who survived the massacre..."_

_He waited to see his daughter expression. The girl didn't seem too fazed by the tragedy, but then again, she was being trained to not be fazed by things._

"_The attackers went to the library, eager to put their hands on our precious bits of information- but they were surprised when they found out most scrolls were incomprehensible to the naked eye. They got angry, and thought they had been fooled... so they set fire to all those scrolls and books..." He sighed, mortified. "Now, that made one man really angry-"_

"_Jiyu the Great!" The little girl interrupted. Her father chuckled._

"_Yes, Jiyu the Great; he was the leader of our kind at the time, and had bravely fought until he was left bleeding on the ground, not quite dead, but halfway there... he saw through blurry eyes the flames, he smelled the fired, and he knew what was going on. Now, this was always my favourite part of the story... it is said that Jiyu stood up once again despite all the odds, and with a snarl and a snap of his fingers, the flames turned against his enemies and consumed them to ashes; it is said that a storm broke loose, and that that day the rain was red, red for all the blood that had been spilled. It is said that the wind started to grow stronger and stronger, and that the earth shattered and broke- and the next day, here we were, apart from the rest of the world, few, but safe, and with half our heritage and information salvaged. With the years, our civilization was restored- sort of- but we still live here, to avoid any massacre like that again."_

"_Father?" She asked. "Is that just a story? Or did Jiyu really _move_ an entire city?"_

"_That's the weird thing; this story has been passed down generations and generations, and there doesn't seem to be another explanation than the legend. Might as well be a pretty story, but I like to believe it's true. Believe what you want, dear, but don't forget the legend. Never."_

* * *

Naruto looked at his friend, she was there still accompanying them, but she looked so lost in her thoughts... that couldn't be healthy, right? Thinking too much could cause some damage... maybe... or at least that's what he thought.

It was somewhat... disappointing, the fact that she always seemed so _far_ from everyone- she'd always listen with the utmost attention when somebody talked to her, but still...

Why she seemed so alone?

It was her choice, naturally, he _knew_ she was a rather private girl, but it just wasn't normal to be like that.

Well...

Not that Cheshire was normal at all.

But he liked that about her, at the end. He liked the fact that she'd always pat his shoulder and cheer him up with a strange phrase he didn't quite understand. He liked the way she'd sometimes told him stories, and the way she looked at things, always with those green eyes filled with curiosity, trying to get everything at once. He liked her accent.

However, he did not liked her grin; no. There was _that_ grin that would always send shivers down his spine, that grin that seemed too wide to be natural; it appeared to hide some many things underneath- and he wasn't sure he wanted to know them all.

Looking ahead, he noticed they were finally arriving to the Village, and with an exclamation of happiness he jumped up and down, forgetting all about his previous thinking- FINALLY! He was _hungry_!

* * *

"Really, Kakashi?" Tsuade nagged the man, just after she helped him recover. "Really? To be left in such a poor state after a _genjutsu_? Pathethic. And you're supposed to be the best."

The man looked plainly miserable. His already slightly drooped eyes were far more drooped, and he appeared to be exhausted. He didn't even bother to reply anything in his defence; after all, he knew there was no chance on his winning against Tsunade's verbal assault.

"Pathethic." She said once more, shaking her head.

Her attention was stolen however, by a very nervous Gai, who was frantically waving at the woman for her to stop nagging his comrade already, and move on to the next room. After all, Rock Lee's ninja future depended on the blonde woman. Both grown-ups and Naruto-who was the one escorting Tsunade from room to room in her medical visits- exited the room, leaving Kakashi alone with a very silent Cheshire, who had been sitting reading a thick book in a chair near the bed since before any of them entered the place, and had chose to ignore everything except for her reading while they were present.

"So... how are you feeling?" She asked to the gray-haired man, her eyes never leaving the pages.

Kakashi sighed and lay back on his pillow once again.

"Well, I definitely have been better. But I'll guess I'll fully recover in a couple of days..." He trailed off, the memory of the horrible genjutsu still too fresh in his mind.

"Perfect. There's no good on having you lying unconscious on a hospital bed." She softly smiled. "Besides, you had me worried. Just a bit."

He chuckled with what little strength he had.

"I thought _I _was the one to worry about you, Cheshire"

"Oh shush, you know I'd probably cry for a whole year if something happened to you." She admitted, more to herself than to him. "And I still have debts to repay you." She added, after thinking about it.

"Really? I've told you already, you don't have to..." He stopped to take a better look at the book on her hands. "What's that?"

"A book."

"I _know_ it's a book, Cheshire-"

"Then why did you asked?" She arched a disapproving eyebrow.

"You know what I meant." Oh but God she was difficult when she wanted to.

"Do I?"

"Cheshire..."

"Kakashi."

"Is it what I think it is?" He was getting tired of running in circles.

"That depends of what you think it is. If you're thinking it's a purple duck that's able to play the piano, then I must say that you're tremendously wrong. It would be a pity, though, ducks are cute; and purple is a nice colour."

The man hung his head low in defeat.

"_Please_ show me the title, would you?" He said.

Cheshire's face broke in a grin and she passed him the book.

The man inspected it, it was thick and the cover was a faded brown, probably leather. It appeared to be quite old, and with black, stocky letters the title read _The Book of Hunting_. He smiled behind his mask.

"Can I borrow this?" He asked her after flipping through the pages, there were paragraphs with different numbers, presenting an enormous amount of rules and tips, such as "give a cornered animal its due space- cornered animas always attack"- That was the rule number five- and "Never leave your back exposed to an enemy"- That was the number one. At the edges of the pages there were numerous arrows that led to annotations scribbled down with different handwritings, among which he recognised Cheshire's little slender letters. He looked at her quizzically.

"Well, it's been used by many people, and many of them had a thing or two to add or clarify" She shrugged. "It's done as help to the next person who'll read it... Anyway, not the point. Keep it as long as you want, I know it by heart already, I was just simply going through the basics again."

"Thanks; to be honest I actually doubted you were willing to lend it." He told her.

"To you? You know very well I trust you; I know you'll take great care of it... Even if it's not, you know, the same genre of your... favourite kind of lecture material..." She muttered the last part.

There was a slightly awkward silence.

"But" She started suddenly. "Since we're in the topic of books... I'm going to leave, probably. I mean soon, and for who knows how many time..."

"Off you'll go to find your missing book?" Kakashi asked.

Cheshire nodded slowly.

"Among other things... I've got a lot of things I need to fix, you know, debts to pay, scores to settle, things to learn..."

"You _do_ know there's no need to talk like that with me."

The girl blinked; once, twice.

Then she smiled a silent 'thank you' at the man in the hospital bed. Ah, silly girl, he is your friend after all, and one in which you can fully trust. Still...

Still he was not on the same side of her imaginary frontier. Close, yes, he could make a decent ambassador, but not quite yet on the same side, no. No one- except for Okku- was on the same side as her.

"_Fine_. Thing is... I've been thinking recently, as in, _a lot_. And I've arrived to the astonishing conclusion that one: I've been too much time frequenting the same places and I need a change of scenery _ipso facto_; and two: I'm not going anywhere anytime soon unless I get stronger, faster, wiser..._ better_. So I need to finish some businesses I've left open, you know, right some wrongs in my life, stuff like that."

"So, you're going to have a lot of meditation, you're going to half-kill yourself training, to bury yourself into tons of books and search for guidance of new teachers...?" He offered.

"Ah, that's why I love you!" She smiled, because to her it was but natural to show affection in such a careless way. "That, and maybe hide a little bit, and of course search for my not-quite-found book."

"You know, you never actually told me what that book is about..."

"I know. And I won't. Sorry."

He just shrugged it off, it was okay if she kept some secrets to herself.  
"Nevermined... so as long as you don't get yourself killed, Cheshire."

"Oh, I can't promise that, but I'll try. Maybe." She smirked.

"So when are you leaving?" He asked perhaps a little bit too fast.

"Now, I need to try to tame a certain horse, I'm afraid I haven't even named him yet. I'll probably come back after that though, to check on you and stuff."

"And stuff." He replied.

"Aye... and stuff..." She smiled.

* * *

She was tired, but still happy. Yes, so maybe she hadn't yet decided on a name for her soon-to-be-horse-friend; yes, so maybe the animal had threw her around like a ragdoll for the best part of an hour, but little by little, the animal was getting used to her, was starting to trust her. _Little by oh-so-little._

She naturally preferred dark to light, since it was easier to pass unnoticed in the dark atmosphere. Besides, without any light, the world seemed to be transformed, shaped by an invisible hand into a completely different environment; more wild and secret and dangerous. She liked all those three words.

_Step. Step. Step. Step._

And she broke into a sprint, because hey, nobody was looking, and she enjoyed the feeling of being able to run and run and run... Oh, there were the big gates already, who knew she was so close to Konohagakure? Oh well, she could keep on running, there was nobody around to stop her and-

Wait.

Who was that?

She skidded to a stop and cocked her head to the side, curious. Taller than her, somewhat spiky hairstyle, and her nose instantly told her he- because she guessed it was a he- _smelled_ dark. Darker than usual, actually. What was Sasuke doing outside the village at this hour...?

She waited for him on the road, his steps her quick, resolved, sentencing, he seemed not to notice the girl until he was practically in front of her- why did he seemed so... edgy?

Cheshire gasped. One look at his eyes and it told her everything. Oh, no, oh no, no, no.

"That's _bad_." She told him, her eyes big and concerned.

"I hope, for your own sake, that you're not another one that'll try to make me re-think and stay on this silly little village." His voice was even colder than usual.

Cheshire whistled, it was an imposing change- not completely unexpected, but not by that any less impressive.

"Of course not." She replied matter-of-factly. "It's certainly not my pace to tell you where to go or not to go. You're free to do as you please, Sasuke, we were never exactly friends. I won't try to neither stop you nor fight you, nor cry you a river. Do whatever you wish; just..." She walked a few steps past him, because she did _not_ want to see him in the face. "I just hope you realise the ties you're severing right now. It's a dark road the one your choosing."

He said nothing.

Cheshire just sighed, and nodded with her head, without turning to look at him.

"So be it. Good luck then, trust me, you're going to need it."

And both kept on walking their own way. In a sudden explosion of compassion Cheshire begged to Heavens to have mercy on his soul, because no good thing would ever come from a betrayal like this, no.

No good thing at all.

* * *

"What?! What do you mean you saw him?! And what do you mean you're not coming with us to retrieve him?!" Oh, Naruto was outraged.

Cheshire flinched, my, my, too loud, too early in the morning; she had just arrived a few hours before.

"I meant what I meant when I said what I said. Naruto, I understand he's your friend and all, I get that he's everyone's here friend... in a sort of distorted way..." She looked at Shikamaru, Neji, and Kiba while saying the last part. "But it's not my business to meddle in between these sorts of deals..." She sighed. "Now _this_ is exactly why I didn't want the headband, it would give people the impression that they could go on and ask me to go on quests on their behalf..." She muttered barely moving her lips.

Naruto clenched his fists, trembling.

"How can you be so cold about it?!" He snapped at her.

Oh...? Cold, did he say...? Naive child, he knew _nothing_ about cold...

"I am _not_ expecting for you to agree with me, but the _least_ you can do is listen. He was_ not_ taken by force; he chose to go _by his own will_. It was probably the stupidest thing he could have made, but still he's in own freedom to travel down that road if he wishes to. I cannot, Hell; I _refuse_ to bind his will to return when he clearly _doesn't want to_. So leave if you want, go look for him, it's a noble thing to do; I'll even tell you the direction he appeared to be headed, but _don't ask me to be a part of this_; I do _not_ owe you so, and I certainly don't have enough time to waste right _now_."

She never raised her voice. But she spoke with such conviction and force- only natural if you had been trained to give speeches and debate important opinions- that none of them thought of telling her otherwise. Well... Naruto did, but that's not the point anyway.

The four boys looked at her, all silent, expecting for _something_ to happen. Cheshire, Cheshire, always so gentle and kind; how come you turn up to be this strong and harsh when you truly intend to?

Okay, so maybe her words sounded _a little_ harsher than what she would have expected... But she was _not_ going to fight a fight that was not hers; she was _not_ going to interfere in a matter that definitely wasn't her call... no. No. Just no; there were too many things to do on her list, she did _not_ have time to loose, after all, this had been a visit planned to last only a couple of hours, and she was about to leave once again.

Neji looked at the girl, curious, stern-looking as ever, and opened his mouth to talk. Then he closed it again. Then he decided to talk at last.

"And here I thought you were just all smiles and stories. I think I was wrong on my first impression about you." He commented almost casually, she still wasn't okay in his book- hey, that slap had hurt- but at least what she said sounded sensible enough.

"Yeah. Guess I was wrong too." Oh, Naruto, really? You really need to give her such a disappointed look? "I thought you were a _different _kind of friend..."

Her heart broke a little, ouch. That had hurt her pride.

They all left, because they had wasted too much time, and Sasuke was getting farther and farther with any passing second, and they _definitely_ could _not_ afford that to happen. Cheshire grumbled; awesome. So she managed to make a close friend angry- or at least, _very very _disappointed.

Just great.

* * *

"Really? Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro? And even Rock Lee showed up?" She whistled. "That sounds pretty cool, huh?" She faked excitement, as if she hadn't heard the story before. But, well, she had already made him angry before, and now that she was visiting him at hospital and somehow- most likely to his good temper and friendly disposition- made peace, she was not going to spoil his fun on telling her the story of how did Sasuke retrieval went.

But of course that Cheshire had known the story before Naruto even thought of telling her, of course.

Her job was to _know_ anyway, and she hated when she had to listen to a second-hand story. Still, just for the sake of the friendship, she awe'd and ooh'd and the right parts, and even fell into dramatic silence when he told her about the result of the battle at the Valley of the End- such a poetic name for that place! Kudos to the one who named it!

In her head, she made a mental calculation of how much time was polite enough to stay there before she could go again; she needed to pay another visit to Sanguini, and rest so that her blooming bruises and newly-made cuts- she always had those- could heal. Another half an hour, twenty minutes, maybe.

* * *

She was _pissed off_. Malchance cursed under her breath, really, she was clearly not used to things like these, no.

Goodbyes.

What a silly way to part ways! She'd rather disappear before anyone had the chance to stop her, with a promise to perhaps return some other day, if the temperature was good and there was not much humidity.

On the other hand, it was perhaps the fact that she was _never_ the one left behind that pissed her off.

And yet, she was standing with her arms crossed over her chest, looking at Naruto in the eyes, right outside the gates, while she was trying to process the fact that he was going to be away for two and a half years training with Jiraiya.

Oh, why did she have to return to Konoha just today? She could have avoided this awkwardness by taking the panoramic route to her destination.

No, she would not follow him, no, not even appear once in a while to check on him, because she was going to be _too damn busy_ to track him down and keep an eye out on her friend. She was going to train too; she had been doing so already, and had planned to keep on her strict schedule for a while. Like two more years, or more, if possible.

_Damn_.

She was terribly awful at departures. And besides, she did not like the weird sensation of her staying while another one was taking his leave.

_Damn!_

Cheshire clicked her tongue, and looked at Naruto even harder. He was starting to feel nervous, the girl had been staring him down into submission- and she was oh-so-amazingly succeeding in doing so- for the last ten minutes, without saying a thing.

Finally, she sighed.

"Fine, _fine_, go around with that weird white-haired sensei of yours. I'll see you in two and a half years, I guess."

"Or before, I mean, you travel a lot Chesh, maybe we'll stumble upon each other sometime, right? I mean, it's possible... right?" He asked, somewhat hopefully.

"Sure." She said. Oops. White lie, maybe? Oh well, she didn't have the strength to let him down anyway, and it was her first lie in _forever_. It could be forgiven... maybe.

She turned around to enter the Hidden Village once again- she still had an appointment with Shikamaru to exchange riddles- when she thought about something. Changing her mind she swiftly spun on her heels and tackled the blonde into a bear hug that lasted some brief seconds.

What? He was leaving, and he smelled terribly nice, like the sun, and smiles, and just the faintest scent of ramen underneath all that.

She released him and entered through the gates without further word, briefly wondering if it was even fully worth it to keep visiting this place now that it lacked certain loud blonde.

Oh, well...

Two and a half years.

Still not enough time to put all her pending businesses in order.

* * *

**Sooo.. yeah. Next chapter is going to be Shippuden time already (and that's what I've been waiting for to write during all these 21 chapters, really. I want Shippuden. Rawr.) **

**Anyway... I wrote this in a sort of fragmented way- as you can clearly seem- and to be honest, I have no idea why. It somehow felt... right.  
**

**Whatever.  
**

**Goodnight, since, as usual, I stayed awake until very late writing and stuff.  
**

**Yes, I honestly love saying 'and stuff'.  
**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Okay, so, yeah... I have been dying to finally get to this part. But, after 21 chapters, here it is, Shippuden time! Anyway, enjoy, and as usual, every review is very much appreciated. **  
_

* * *

_Damn_.

Cheshire examined her thumb, and the red liquid pearl resting on its surface. She grumbled and made sure to put the cloth away from her injured finger, just to make sure it didn't get stained with her blood.

Sighing, she put the needle and thread aside, and stood up from her cushion on the floor. How many times had she pricked her fingers already? A few too many, she reasoned.

With her eyes, she assessed the contents of the room: all the different cloths, different colours, each and every one carefully embroidered with silver and gold threads. She sighed once again, when her eyes reached the ones she had made by herself.

Well...

It wasn't _bad_.

Her skills had improved amazingly since she first started, she was slowly getting there.

But she was not there _quite yet_.

And she could not stop hurting her fingers with the needle; her patterns were still too sloppy for her own taste... no, no, it wasn't perfect.

And decidedly too far from getting anywhere near Heiwa's magnificent work; not only she took care of embroidering the most wonderful creations, but also she transformed those pieces of cloth into beautiful kimonos, the kind that the rich ladies always wanted to buy.

_Damn_.

Cheshire had wanted to work with her- _for_ her- mostly to lend a hand, because even if Heiwa was doing better with her life as of lately, even if she had built a business in the past years that left her with really good and honest money, they still whispered.

Cheshire heard it when she accompanied the woman to run some errands in the market; they still whispered at the beautiful woman's back, they still echoed a past she desired to forget. And it upset the dark haired girl; Heiwa, always of sad smiles and gentle caring, nothing but sweet words- even if life took care of toughing her up-, of longing stares and broken sighs. She did not deserve to be treated that way!

Hypocrites, most of them.

Those men, who whispered, once ached to spend a night with a woman like her. They paid good money too. Those women, who condemned her for a reputation she had made at her own tears expense, envied her beauty, and secretly pitied her history.

Really, how many choices had a young woman- only nineteen at that time, almost a girl!- after her father died- the only source of income- and having three little sisters to look after? No more relatives, nobody to lend a hand, nobody but herself to try to make things good again... And she had been a spoiled girl, born in a wealthy house, with a loving- yet spoiling- father; she hadn't got a clue as for how to cook, how to sew, how to do _anything_ at all- and her silky-soft hands were good enough proof of her lack of work.

She only had her beauty- an astonishing beauty she had been born with, her long lashes and plump lips, her soft caramel eyes and the long brown wavy hair...

How many options are there for a beautiful young woman that's desperately in need of money for her family?

"Did you got hurt again, Little Flower?" The honey-like voice spoke from the door.

Cheshire turned around upon hearing the older woman- almost nearing her thirties now- and smiled upon her sight. Barefoot, as always, with a long purple dress, and her hair tied in an elegant bun a top of her head, to keep it out of the way.

"Yeah, no, I mean, it's just a scratch. It barely dripped blood from it anyway." Cheshire said, licking her thumb to get rid of the red liquid.

Heiwa looked at her, and smiled lovingly.

"You're not happy with your own work, are you?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"No... Of course not. I basically begged for you to let me work in here to be of a little help, yet I ruined three dresses already! Besides, I keep screwing up from time to time..."

"Listen, Love, I've got some good workers already, I'm doing fine, as you can see. And it takes time to master embroidery, you make a decent work, I've sold some of your cloths at a decent price, so don't worry. What concerns me is the fact that you keep hurting your fingers." She softly chuckled.

Cheshire blushed, embarrassed.

"I know you're used to keep pushing your limits" Heiwa continued. "But sometimes it's good to leave things as they are; nobody is going to blame you for not trying until your hands are filled with holes."

"I... I know. You're right; perhaps I took it all this business a little bit too personal..."

The tall woman opened her arms, indicating the young girl to hug her. Cheshire did, and inhaled the sweet scent of Heiwa's hair, so... calming, even if it belonged to a broken woman.

"Besides" The brunette said after a while. "It's late for you already."

Cheshire furrowed her brow, not really understanding what she meant.

"But... my shift it's not over until another hour and a half..." She trailed off.

"Oh, no, no, silly girl. I'm saying that I know you, and that it's late for you already to go. Come on, get out of here, chase the vague lullaby of a vague illusion, I know you can't stay too long in the same place. You've been some long months in here already, so _shoo_, get out of here."

Cheshire smiled. She was possibly the only person who encouraged her to get away, instead of asking her to stay.

* * *

"I'm sorry, miss, you can't pass."

"Oh? That's a new one. And may I ask why not?"

"He's _busy_, in a meeting, you can come again by here tomorrow if you-"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said no. If he knew I was here he wouldn't be busy."

"I... I doubt that."

"Then please allow me to vanish your doubts, as I said, if he knew I was here he wouldn't be busy, which means he _doesn't_ know I'm here, alas, I am going to show him I actually _am_ here, and therefore your doubts will disappear."

"Umm, but I was told no-one could-"

"You were told wrong, but don't worry, I can see you're new at this; so let's make a deal, if he's _really_ busy, then I'll come back by this hall without making any trouble, if he's not, then I was right and you'll learn a useful lesson."

"I don't know, that doesn't seem-"

"I am glad we reached an understanding, my friend!"

And she sprinted down the hallway before the man had any time to react at all. Ah, silly Cheshire, sly Cheshire; that silver tongue is going to fail you one day...

He sighed, having heard everything from his office- and he made a mental note as to make the walls thicker next time. Hearing the soft and quick steps he anticipated her arrival; running a hand through his hair, he sighed, ignoring the report he was getting from his former sensei.

The door opened unceremoniously, and Cheshire entered in all her glory: her hair messy and tangled with leaves, eyes glinting, and a fake offended look on her face. She leaned casually against the door frame, and made a vain attempt of fixing her hair.

"So" She started. "I've been told ye're too busy for me. Is that so?" She said, intentionally making her accent more prominent, because she knew he liked it.

He looked at her, his eyes indifferent as ever, and the faintest ghost of a smile that passed imperceptible. She had her lips forming a pout, acting the part as if she was thoroughly hurt by his attitude. He sighed once again, and looked at the man in front of him.

"We can resume this meeting later, Baki. You are dismissed."

The man nodded and got out of the room, barely lingering at the door to shoot a slightly disapproving glance at the girl. Cheshire just grinned at him.

"Actually, I _do_ hope I didn't interrupt something important, milord." She said while entering the room.

"It was just a routinely meeting" He said, while checking the- huge stacks- of paperwork on his desk. "You could still announce yourself before you stormed into my office, though."

"Ah, aye, I _did_, actually. Five minutes before now."

He sighed- yet again. It was no use to try to win her in her own game.

The girl chuckled, and proceeded to walk around the room until she was standing right behind him. She hugged his shoulders from behind, and rested her head a top of his, to read whatever it was he was reading. He made no move at all at her proximity- there was a certain degree of acceptance required to befriend the girl, after all.

"Well, that looks boring." She simply stated, reading the paper.

"Someone has to do it." He replied.

"I can relate to that, trust me." She smiled a soft, somewhat sad smile and hummed into his hair. She liked his hair.

"I've been visiting an old friend. The woman I told you about, remember?" She commented.

"The pretty one? With butterflies in the garden?"

"Yes! She's called Heiwa. You should meet her someday, I'm sure you'd like her."

"Why?"

"She's the gentlest creature on Earth; she never makes you feel different, like an outcast..." She trailed off, her voice barely trembling.

He kept silent.

That was probably one of the reasons why Cheshire loved visiting this place so much, because he barely asked anything, instead he simply listened, and remained silent, and remembered. It was no big deal to him; he had always been silent. In return, she would tell him things she told few people; she would always bring him new stories, and sometimes a gift or two.

But more importantly, she had offered him her friendship, she had offered him her friendship from the beginning, and that was why he liked her. Even if her weird talking and complete lack of respect for his position and strange ways of being really affectionate confused him from time to time; for one like him, who had always been lonely, having suddenly a girl like her in his life resulted in even more confusion towards the humanity.

She hummed into his hair again, thinking aloud intelligible words, and he closed his eyes, remembering the first time she had intruded into his domains after the Chuunin exam fiasco was finally over.

It had been barely a couple of days after they came back from Konohagakure, and he entered his room one night, and found her there, sitting on his bed, surrounded by an alarming amount of little glass flowers.

"_Hey"_ She had said. _"I told you I would make you tons of these flowers."_

And she had smiled at him before giggling and playing with those little things, throwing them up in the air to make them glisten with the light, creating an almost surreal atmosphere around her, a place that appeared to be yanked out from a fairytale.

"_And, you know, I never break my promises."_

And then he found himself sitting next to her, while she told him stories and legends, and whispered a couple of secrets, and she was gentle- _so gentle!_- that he felt utterly dumbfounded again... but she didn't bother him. No, he felt, somehow, calm with her. It was one of her things; she made people around her feel calm.

Later on, he soon discovered she would visit soon- even if complaining every time about the awful weather. And she'd bring teas and maintain girl talks with his sister, and she'd offer some playful and not ill-intended banter to his brother. And to him... to him simply her friendship, her presence, her silences and shows of affection.

"_So, tell me, have you ever learnt how to dance? Everybody's got the right to dance lessons, along with the right of owning a reputation! Oh, don't worry, it's not too late, I can teach you some other time."_

"_Oh, you've got such a horrible weather, really, I hate deserts. I hate them, from the bottom of my heart. Can't all of you live somewhere else? I positively and absolutely hate deserts."_

"_Have you noticed the way everything comes to life after rain? It's rather... captivating, isn't it? Like every single ounce of life had been hiding, and the rain stirred it into motion once again, making it awake..."_

And, of course, she had been there at his birthday.

"_Happy un-Unbirthday! Here, got you a present. Why are you looking at it like that? Have you never seen a cactus before? I named him Eduardo. I thought it suited it, so, here, take care of it."_

It had been a lovely plant actually, the little green thing filled with thorns; he kept it till this day at his nightstand. He remembered he had been just staring at the cactus for a while, the plant still in her hands, because honestly, he had no idea as for how she knew when his birthday was- but she was her and she _always_ knew- and he had no idea how to react upon being offered a gift. So he simply muttered a quiet 'thank you'; and she smiled.

And then he was named Kazekage, and she had been there at the ceremony, smiling and clapping and cheering for him and just simply showing how _proud_ she felt, and he thanked her for her cheers, because he wanted to thank her for everything but he didn't knew how- never had been one for words, nor people, unlike her.

And her habits never changed, she still appeared in the middle of a meeting, just irrupting into his life like the first time she appeared before him, and she would hug him and comb his hair while he was talking about serious and important things with serious and important people- she was hearing things she _should not_ have been hearing, mind you- and offering some comment or two- but remaining always polite. And she would storm into his office, and jump into his lap and hide her face into his chest claiming that she was playing hide and seek with her shadow and she could _not_ afford to lose again against the sneaky bastard; or she would just keep him company in his long sleepless nights.

"_It takes misery to understand misery."_ That had been her only explanation.

"So" She suddenly said, making him snap out of his reverie. "I've got you a secret."

She disentangled herself from him, and walked casually around his office, her hands on her hips.

"I've talked with the wind, and it told me news. Guess who's coming back to Konoha, Gaara?"

* * *

Cheshire, Cheshire...

So many new names she had acquired, that she had to speak aloud her own- the one she chose to wear in here- so as not to forget it. Because she was Malchance and Aisha and Silence and Mercy and Grinner, but now...

It amazed her how many names she managed to stumble upon her way.

Now she was also Rain and Wind, she was Swiftkill and the White Lady, now she was the Whispering Fire; now, she was the Queen of Miracles.

She smirked upon thinking of that one, along with Malchance, it was her personal favourite.

The Queen of Miracles.

It had all started as a way to mock her, to tempt her, to haunt her and break her.

"_What's up with you, girl? I thought you were the Queen of Miracles, the one who could perform the impossible; the one the lost souls searched for when they needed a favour! Look at you, all beaten up..." _He had laughed, he had laughed and it was cruel because she was angry and afraid and _trapped_ like a stupid beast. _"Look at you! All hail the Queen! Let's see you attempt one of your miracles right now, hmmm? ...All hail the Queen..."_

It had been cruel, it had been twisted, but fortunately, it had been short. No more than two months. Because she was no child this time, she was less sad and more angry, less hunted and more hunter; less wild, and more in control.

So she let everything burn.

And she had no regrets of it, no matter how _bad_ that was.

So, mighty Malchance, sweet Aisha, playful Grinner, ever-knowing Whisper, calm Queen...

She felt like laughing at her own stupidity. She couldn't have been _that_ wrong, could she? She had listened to the wind, and it told her a secret, because they were really good friends...

And still, nothing.

She had been waiting for a couple of hours already, and _nothing_.

Some part of her- Malchance, probably- nagged her because of her resolution; why? Why had she been so stubborn so as not pay him a visit in _all_ this time? Why had she been so focused on leave him alone to his training, without any distraction, without even checking on him?

Now time had made its cruel pranks and they were both unsynchronized and it was late before it was so soon and July would come before March if she didn't move fast enough and-

She inhaled sharply.

Breathe.

In.

Out.

Focus; relax.

But she _had been_ a couple of hours in Konoha already, and she had talked to Sakura; and she knew nothing. And to Shikamaru, and he knew nothing. Nor Neji, or Choji, or Ino, or Kiba; nobody knew anything.

But she had been _so sure!_ Perhaps... perhaps it was just a matter of timing, yes; that would most certainly be it. Perhaps he was just arriving a little bit later than what he should have- arriving late was _rude_, but she could forgive him for not knowing the time when he should have arrived. Yes. So get away of the doors, silly girl, and do something useful with your time, yes.

But, oh cruel fate, wicked Father Time; when she went north, he went east, when she decided to stand by a tree, he went inside a building, and so, even in the same village, they both managed to evade each other quite gracefully.

And that little ocurrence didn't come to Cheshire's mind, no. And she was _tired_, because she had been running the last couple of days- from the desert to the mountains, into the sea and out of some forest- and she just didn't felt like scanning the _whole village_ with her chakra, so she didn't.

The only way she found to calm herself was to meditate; because even when she went into Tsunade's office, once night had already fallen, she found the place empty, and asking around she discovered that he had indeed arrived, and that he was fighting along Sakura their former sensei, and that Tsunade and Jiraiya and Shizune went all there to watch...

And she was just so tired...

But interrupting his fight would have been rude- what? It was not as if he was some redhead Kazekage or something...- so she decided to do another thing instead.

A good deed, just for the sake of an old friendship.

So she appeared inside, and she dusted off the floor and furniture, and she cleaned off spider webs- gently telling the spiders that they should have to find another place to reside- and she polished, and cooked some stuff, and even made the bed.

And then she took a moment to sit on said bed, because she was _oh so damn tired_.

* * *

Naruto walked alone, to his home, his body slightly aching because of the recent fight, but with a feeling of happiness nevertheless. It was good to be back, definitely. And he managed to get Iruka sensei to treat him some food- even though he was still really hungry; but hey, at least his stomach didn't grumble anymore..._that_ much.

He stopped at the front of his door, and dug in his pocket for the key, preparing himself to enter an abandoned-looking house- he _had_ been away two and a half years, after all. Oh, _damn_, he most surely was going to have to clean everything and open the windows to let the dust out and...

Wait what.

Why when he entered and turned on the lights everything seemed so... _clean?_ He was sure that was not normal, someone _must _have cleaned it for him. He briefly thought about it... But no, nobody really would have done that. Sakura had been with him- and it was certainly _not_ like her to suddenly clean up his mess- Shikamaru was simply too lazy to do it, even if they were somewhat good friends; Hinata... no. She was nice enough to do it, but she simply wouldn't have entered his house without his permission. He shrugged, and his nose picked up a faint scent... he looked around; was that a cup of ramen on the table?

Oh, whoever did this did a very good job!

He finished eating- fortunately the food had been still a bit warm- his house was submerged in the heaviest silence, it was late, he was tired...

He yawned.

It was time to sleep.

Barely even getting up he unzipped his jacket and laid it on the floor- hey, it was amazingly clean, he could afford to leave his clothes around until morning-, then his shirt followed, while he was walking towards his room, he opened the door and kicked out his sandals- he was starting to feel the toll of his long day. He straightened and stretched, and set his objective- meaning, his bed- but stopped short on his tracks suddenly enough.

What was there, on his bed?

He approached the place, and discovered that the _what_ was a _who_, and that the _who_ was Cheshire. He cocked his head to the side, and smiled to himself, it had been certainly a while, and he would like if he said he hadn't been disappointed by the fact that the girl hadn't appeared even _once_ during his training. Something clicked on his head, and he felt a sudden wave of gratitude towards the girl when he realized that it had probably been her the one who cleaned his house and made him food, really, how come he didn't think about her before? It was just like her to do something as random and nice for someone, without even being asked to- because when she was asked, it was most likely that she said _no_.

He softly chuckled, trying to not make much noise, because she appeared to be sleeping and-

Wait.

She was sleeping.

That irked his curiosity; it was the first time he ever saw the short girl sleep, so she crouched by her side, with a raised eyebrow, to get a better look at her.

Two years. It had been two years, and, as himself, she had changed too. Naruto observed that her hair was significantly shorter- barely grazing her shoulders- instead of that long, dark cascade, she had a short, spiky, chopped hairstyle now. Actually, it appeared as it had been cut without much care, since it was longer on some parts, shorter on some others... oh well, it suited her, somehow.

He also noticed her attire had change; she still wore a white dress, but the too-long sleeves were forgotten long ago, apparently. This dress was shorter than the other one- barely her mid-thighs- tighter too- but not _too much_- and strapless. Still she had bandages on her upper legs, peeking out from the hem of her dress- not that he actually, _erhm_, looked that way anyway. Her arms were now covered by fingerless black gloves, long enough so that they reached past her elbows; and her sandals- which lay on the floor near the bed-, once reaching her mid-calves, were now shorter, by her ankles only. He also noticed that by the sandals were her headband- the one she never actually quite _liked_- her katana, and a long black coat he had never seen before.

Naruto reached down, curiosity taking the best of him, and grabbed the coat to inspect it. It was black, possibly too big for Cheshire's little frame- even if she looked older now, less of a little girl, more of a woman- he supposed that it reached the floor when she wore it. It also appeared to be tattered by use, and had a hood.

And, it had a pattern of white flames that started from the hem upwards, ending a third up the length of the coat. It was... an interesting choice of clothing, indeed. He let in on the floor once again when he heard the girl stirring in her sleep, but she didn't wake up. She observed her a few moments, and discovered that she shivered every few seconds- figures, since she somehow managed to kick the sheets off the bed.

It was strange, seeing her sleep. She was the one that was always awake, always everywhere, knowing everything and everyone... And yet, sleeping like this, almost trembling, she looked so... vulnerable. Heh, almost normal, without that weird grin.

It was definitely strange, seeing her sleep like this, on his bed...

He stifled a yawn, man, but he _was_ tired!

Oh, _no_.

He looked at her again. Sleeping. On his bed.

Damn!

He briefly thought about waking her up, but he just didn't felt at easy with that option, after all, she appeared to be almost, _almost_ peaceful, he didn't have enough heart to disturb her slumber.

...Nor he wanted to sleep himself on the couch, after all, he just came back from days sleeping on the cold, harsh road, he _ached _for his bed.

_Damn_.

His eyes began to close, and his mind grew a little foggy. Well... now that he thought about it, she was actually rather small- was she even skinnier than before? That couldn't be healthy- and occupied a very small part of his bed, like that, sleeping on the side. In that state of not-quite-fully-awakened, he climbed on the bed next to her, because it had seemed to him the perfect solution: both would get some sleep in a decent bed, both could sleep rather comfortable, and hey, she had always been so... _prone to touch people_, it was not as if they hadn't been this close before. Well, yeah, there was the fact that he was a boy and she was a girl, but...

No. Cheshire wasn't just _a girl_. How stupid to think like that, even if she was female, he didn't see her as _a girl_.

She was Chesh.

He managed to retrieve the sheets from the floor and cover them both with them- or something like that- and closed his eyes, briefly remembering that he actually didn't get to change into his sleeping clothes, and was still only clad in his dirty, orange pants.

Oh, well.

He fell asleep instantly anyway.

* * *

One thing she _loved_ about travelling with Okku was that he, an enormous and fluffy bear, make the perfect pillow at night. Little Chesh had always trouble to sleep- she slept too little, too light, she had many nightmares because her mind couldn't just _stop working_, not even in her sleep. Still, holding her furry friend at night had proven to be a way of calm herself down, even if only a little; and sometimes even he would hug her with one paw, like a cub he wanted to protect, like now, when she could feel the weight of his paw on her slender waist.

She couldn't ask for a better friend-slash-protector-slash-voice of reason, and in her fuzzy state of mind- it always took her awhile to be fully awake- she ran her fingers through his fur, in a soft caress...

Except there was no fur.

Her fingers caressed something warm, and soft, but it was no fur. Skin? Yes, yes it was skin.

What the-?

Closing her eyes- she realized her face was against skin too- she inhaled deeply, because she was too sleepy to feel properly startled.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait. It smelled like the sun, and smiles, and the faintest scent of ramen underneath all that...

Naruto?

She shifted, trying to get a better look at... whatever was going on.

Huh. So, somehow, she had been sleeping next to her blonde friend, actually hugging him, her face against his chest, her hands at his bare back- so that was what she had been caressing instead of fur?- while he had one arm loosely around her waist.

Huh.

Oh, but life had its mysteries indeed.

She shifted a little bit more, trying to get a better look at _him_, because in two and a half years he must have surely grown up, right? Right.

And she had been right indeed, he surely looked older- and if she dared to admit, those years looked even good on him, the blonde knucklehead.

Soon- perhaps due to her own movement- he groaned, and opened one sleepy eye.

"Mornin' sunshine." Cheshire told him light-heartedly, her accent even thicker in her sleepy state. "Sun is up and so should ye."

Naruto rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

"Five more minutes..." He muttered and closed his eyes, readying himself to fall asleep once again.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, finally awake. Then she disentangled herself from him, and sat on the bed, poking his head.

"Come on, you have to wake up because of three reasons."

He opened his eyes once again, and looked at her, waiting.

"One, we have a lot of catching up to do."

He faintly smiled at this, it was a truth.

"Two, I'm sure you have a mission or something waiting for you already..." She guessed. "And three, I really don't think it would be the wisest thing to keep on sleeping in here, were someone to come in to see you, this scene would probably leave the _wrong_ image." She simply shrugged.

He coughed, embarrassed, getting the meaning of her last statement. It amazed him how she could speak so lightly about... those things.

She smiled at him, and chuckled lightly. Ah, boys will be boys...

She stood up from her spot on the bed, and started to put on her sandals.

"Come on; get up already, Naruto, or I'll summon Okku and he'll give you a speech about why is it important for the honour to wake up early... and then he'll drag you to Tsunade's office."

With a grunt, he finally sat up on his bed.

"It's good to see you again, Chesh." He said, yawning and stretching.

"Same thing here. Oh, and by the way..." She looked at him in the eye. "Take a bath, would you? You reek of sweat, fights, and days on the road."

* * *

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, you know? And I just *had* to add that Gaara fluff in there. Honestly, I find him adorable... in some weird way...**


	23. Chapter 23

**Next chapter is up, just a day after my birthday! (See how much I love you- I should be causig havoc in the world by the fact that I'm eighteen now, but no, I'm writing. Now feel bad of yourself and leave a review, I command you, my pawn.)**

**Enjoy :)  
**

* * *

"So..." Naruto started.

"Soooo...?" Cheshire mimicked.

The both of them had been walking together, the girl having offered herself to accompany him to met Sakura and Kakashi; the team the was going to Tsunade's office to pick up their first mission in two and a half years.

"Quit being so... _difficult_, Chesh. What you've been up to all this time?"

The smiled was whipped off the girl's face. What had she been up all this time indeed...

Well. She visited old friends and family. She trained hard and bled a lot, was given a coat and strained her back. She had to wear shackles- yet again- and lived with a wolf-like Demon for a couple of weeks. She had lost a lot of weight to the point she almost perished of starvation, and even when she managed to eat, she was _still starving_.

But then again, she was always starving...

She had cried, and screamed, and cursed, and then fell silent, because sometimes silences are stronger than words. And then she let everything turn to ashes, mainly out of anger and self-preservation. And she knew it had been wrong, and she knew her hands were even more blood-stained.

But she didn't care.

So perhaps Sanguini had been right- and oh, she was so afraid that the Demon had spoken the truth about the girl's nature- and the both of them weren't so different after all; that's why she chose to find refuge with the Demon and her pack of- unnaturally large- wolves. After all, Sanguini was the only one that taunted her, that mocked her, that defied her and- more often than not- hurt her, both physically and emotionally; the other wolves simply took her as one of their own, because to them she was kin, she was the same, a starving wolf that could never stop her hunger, a creature that was hid in the forest to lick her wounds... but then again, it took misery to understand misery, and who, if not kin, would watch your back?

And if suffering Sanguini's constant abuses was the price to pay for that, then so be it. Not that Cheshire was masochistic, not at all, but she found the creature useful in more than one way, as a source of information and indirect protection- really, who would dare to face the sadistic Sanguini?- as a valuable ally and a connection to her late mother. The Demon had known her mother even before she married, she had known her, and somehow, in a weird way, had befriended her- or something like that, since Cheshire doubted Demons could make actual friends. So she asked her about her mother; but Sanguini rarely answered.

And then she had done a lot of other things; she had made new friends- a caravan of travelling gypsies, most of them with low standards regarding morality-, she had visited Anika, she had stopped to think and meditate about her actions, and even tried to find her old sensei. But he wasn't at his home. She figured he had been busy, wandering around, doing some important stuff. Then she had visited Heiwa, and decided to keep her company for a while.

Cheshire looked at Naruto, he was giving her a funny look... Oh, right, she had been silent too long, hadn't she? Yes, yes she had. Silly Cheshire, pay attention.

"Oh, you know, around." She shrugged. "I did some training myself; I visited some old friends and settled some scores. Stuff like that."

He eyed her, now that it was daytime he could notice all the changes. He had been right last night, she was even skinnier now, and he was sure that her ribs could be noticed if she took off her dress. She had grown up too; she resembled more a woman now, her lines were curvier and softer, her eyes slightly more stylised, and even her hips were a little bit wider. But she still had a petite frame, all in all; and that was accentuated by the too-big coat she was wearing on top of it all.

But... but she looked even more ethereal, almost as if she didn't walked- glided- entirely into this world, no, from time to time, when she looked up and her eyes were away, far away, chasing down whispers and illusions... she was almost a ghost, a spirit that almost quite didn't entirely belonged to this world.

And that made him feel anxious.

She looked sad now... well, not _sad_, but less happy- oh, she still grinned a lot alright, but her walk was slightly hunched now, like she had too much weight on her shoulders to straighten herself.

Cheshire, Cheshire, transparent Cheshire, why are you so different now? Where is the little girl that ran with shiny birds and laughed with the rivers?

Naruto coughed, uncomfortable.

"So, why did you cut your hair, anyway?" He tried to lighten the humour.

She lingered in her steps, almost unnoticeable.

"Oh, it got in the way a lot, so I just, you know, wanted to get rid of it..."

It wasn't a lie. Not _technically_, nope. Long hair was a nuisance when it would stick to the blood on her face. Besides... well, if she was honest, she had had a mental breakdown at the time, because the mirage of what once she was still lingered on her skin, but she wasn't, and she ached because of that.

So she cut her hair. To cut ties to what she once had been- at least until she twisted and turned and shaped her name again so she could become herself again.

"That's a shame" Naruto interrupted her train of thoughts. "I liked it better longer."

"Oh? So I look pretty with long hair?"

Damn that girl and her ways to control one's words.

"Well- I mean-"

"So, I _don't_ look pretty with short hair, huh?"

"No! That's not what I meant! You _are_ pretty!"

Silence.

He shuffled, he _might_ have said that a little bit too loud, and people might have started to stare at the both. He stopped walking and looked at her. He opened his mouth; then he closed it. He opened it again. He closed it again.

"That... didn't come out as I wanted to..." He finally said, rubbing the nape of his neck.

The girl just smiled, satisfied with herself, but said nothing, her eyes glinting.

Naruto slumped his shoulders, defeated.

"I hate you" He muttered. "Especially when you play with my mind like that..."

She shrugged, and then patted his back, comforting him.

"Sorry 'bout that, can't help it." She said. "It's too fun to mess with you. Don't worry; it's not as if I took seriously anything I manage for you to say."

"Hey, Chesh?" He suddenly said, remembering something. "Shouldn't you eat more? You don't look so... healthy..."

The girl winced at his statement.

"I... Well..." She coughed. Oh, but she had been trapped in-fraganti indeed. "I guess I should... It's not as if I have too much time to eat." She shrugged. "And I've been through a rough patch lately, so go figure."

"Rough patch? Can't you find someone who lends you money?" He asked, thick concern in his voice.

Cheshire chuckled, oh, if he only knew...

"Money's not the problem. Besides, I know places where I can get free food, and even if I'm too far from there, I almost never need money. You know, I know how to hunt my own food if I truly need it. Though I hate skinning things with fur, it's just too... messy...What?" She added, noticing his stare.

"No- I mean- I just... Nothing. Don't worry, it's nothing." Because the vision of gentle Cheshire with her hands dripping blood, trying to get the skin out of some dead animal resulted both fascinating and terrifying.

What a strange girl she was.

They kept on walking in a comfortable silence until they arrived to the place where Naruto was supposed to meet the rest of his team. Looking ahead, they noticed Sakura was already there and waiting.

"Geez, you're late Naruto." The pink-haired girl told the blonde boy. "I've been here for fifteen minutes already."

"That might have been my fault." Cheshire chimed in. "I _might_ have stolen some of his time. Sorry."

Sakura just waved it off, it was not as if Kakashi sensei would come anytime soon nevertheless; the man was known for his lack of punctuality after all.

"So, I guess I'll see you around. Both of you. Goodbye and good luck." And without any more warning, Cheshire vanished away, because she needed some spare minutes to think about what her life would become on the next couple of months.

Okay, next step: try to find Santino. It had been _too many_ years since the last time she saw him, and he was probably the wisest person she knew- except maybe besides her father. And her training with him hadn't been fully completed, after all.

Yeah, it sounded like a good plan.

If only she could find enough time to perform it...

Time was always an issue for Cheshire.

* * *

"What? You've got a problem with that!?" Tsunade said grumpily.

Really, what had the knucklehead boy been expecting? He had been away for _over two years_, and now he was in her office _demanding_ some incredibly difficult and dangerous mission?

Hah.

As if.

This made Tsunade rethink once again about her position, dealing with _stupid children_ like these... honestly, how did the third Hokage put up with all these situations- and let's not forget the paperwork- before her?

But then again, it was her job at the end of the day, so she tried to explain him why he couldn't appear out of nowhere, being so many years out of action, and suddenly be assigned an S-rank mission.

"Oh, c'mon! You don't need to go easy on me!" Seems that Naruto had really no hope of changing.

And her patience was wearing thin.

The blonde woman observed as her apprentice noticed the subtle change in her demeanour that announced the upcoming storm, and tried to _force_ some sense into Naruto- in a rather violent way-, while offering her apologies and excuses for his behaviour. Tsunade rolled her eyes and glanced to the side, eyeing the girl who was casually leaning against the wall, having appeared there a couple of minutes ago. She had her eyes closed, seeming to be ignoring the conversation in the room- though her subtle smile gave away the truth; she was eagerly listening every word of it.

The Fifth Hokage had to admit to herself that Cheshire was probably the only person capable of looking so _damn_ casual while having _appeared_ into her office. She never actually made her lose her temper either- the girl was silent, respectful, and never actually caused her any trouble. So she was, all in all, okay in her books, despite the vague answers she gave to personal questions, and the fact that she was not an _official_ ninja of Konohagakure. She remembered discussing the terms of her makeshift alliance with the Leaf Village a couple of months after assuming her new position as the Hokage.

"_So, that's basically it. The reason as for why I carry _this_" She gestured her headband, and not without a certain disliking in her voice. "Around; basically, it puts people at ease, or something like that. Third Hokage's idea."_

"_And you don't like it." Tsunade observed._

_Cheshire shuffled uncomfortable._

"_No." She simply said. "No I do not. I do _not_ like chains, I do _not_ like to be trapped by deals or alliances, and I do _not_ pledge my undying loyalty to _places_."_

"_Why did you accept it, then?"_

_The girl shrugged._

"_Mainly because, as I'm sure you know already, I'm friends with some people in here, and I intended to keep on visiting. I did not wanted for, let's say, Kakashi suffer the consequences of having met me if I was regarded as... _bad_."_

"_I see."_

_Silence overcame the room a couple of minutes._

"_Still" Tsunade began. "You _are_ wearing that thing; it's a symbol of this village- not only to the villagers, but also to the other nations. I hope you know that you should not disrespect Konohagakure with any of your actions, now that you are seen as one of us."_

_Except she wasn't, Cheshire wasn't one of them, and she herself knew it._

"_Oh, don't worry, ma'am. Half the time I don't even use it when I'm not in here. In case of, you know, I run into something too complicated to involve this village."_

_The blonde woman squinted her eyes. She did not know if it was a good or a bad thing, what she had just stated. This girl certainly had a lot of things to hide. _

"_That's one thing. Now, for the other aspect of your situation... I know you do enjoy going as you please, with nobody to tell you when to go or stay, right?"_

_Cheshire cocked her head to the side, where was she going with all this? Honestly, if the woman was about to say that since she wore the headband she shouldn't roam the world so freely, if she was about to _order_ her to stay-_

"_I want to make a deal with you then." Tsunade said to her interrupting her thoughts._

"_Ye talking business now, ma'am." The girl beamed at her. "I like you, certainly. What would that deal be...?"_

"_You keep your freedom; nobody asks you things you don't want to answer. But you have to prove yourself useful; I'm going to assign you missions sometimes when you're around, and you won't be able to decline. I am...sure, that you have within yourself knowledge about things that people usually don't know, and I'd like for you to share some of that with me, Cheshire, if the situation requires so. I got the feeling that you'll make a very valuable kunoichi; do you accept the terms of our deal?"_

_Cheshire pondered it on her head. Did she accept?_

"_Almost. I won't feel comfortable if used as a weapon directly against any other village- I'd like to remain as neutral as I can, even if that sounds silly to you; nor I'd like to have to meddle in between politics. And about the things I know... I can't tell you everything. Loyalties that are far stronger forbid me to do so, but I promise to help you as far as I can."_

_Tsunade nodded. Actually, it had went far better than what she had expected, she had talked to Kakashi before, regarding the girl, and learnt some things about her- how much she valued her freedom, the fact that she liked to be neutral as far as she could, and her ability to vanish away at her will; but nothing about _who_ she was. Then again, if he trusted her, then she could do the same, something told her that having Cheshire on her side would be a major advantage._

A messenger entered suddenly into the office, stealing everyone's attention.

"There's an emergency, Hokage! We have just received a message from Sunagakure!"

* * *

What?!

Cheshire felt the entire air exit her lungs and she staid still, and quiet; quiet and still.

Paralyzed.

"The Kazekage has been kidnapped by Akatsuki." Tsunade said once more.

But... but...

_Gaara._

She had seen him barely a couple of days ago! How could it happen something like this all of the sudden?

Cheshire, Cheshire, foolish Cheshire, you _had_ been invited to stay a while longer, had you not? You went away anyway, did you not?

You _did_.

Selfish Cheshire, you _did_, little foolish child. Perhaps you could have avoided it, but _no_.

You didn't.

She could feel her pulse vibrating into her veins, her blood boiling and pumping and palms sweating and mouth drying.

_Gaara_.

She heard as Tsunade assigned this mission to Team Kakashi.

"Go to the Hidden Village of the Sand, find out more information about this situation, and send a report back to Konoha. You will also follow any of their orders and back them up!"

Cheshire swallowed hard. No, no, no, no; it was _wrong_, all of it! She took a step forward, her face paler than usual.

"I want to go too." She simply said.

The people in the room looked at her, between curious and shocked, it was not like the girl to intrude into what could be considered somebody else's matters.

"Why?" Tsunade asked her. "I thought you didn't appreciate being thrown around in between village's troubles."

"I do not, but it has nothing to do with Sunagakure or Konohagakure. I don't give a damn about Gaara being the Kazekage- I never have, to some's disapproval. He's a friend; Hell, he's almost kin by now. And if kin don't watch your back... then who's going to do it? I'll go too."

Now she wasn't asking, she was stating what she was going to do.

"Fine. But this is dangerous, Cheshire, I don't want you to wander off on your own, even if you think that's the right thing to do. Work as a team with them." Tsunade gestured at Team Kakashi.

Cheshire nodded, and all of them were dismissed.

Well, she didn't make her _promise_ not to vanish away.

And if they were being too slow...Then she was going to have to do it. For Gaara's sake.

Akatsuki...

Cheshire bit her lip, an uneasy feeling claiming over her body. She waved it off, and forced herself calm with her breathing. So they had took him, huh?

Fair enough.

Hearing the war drums in her mind she smiled to herself, blood boiling in her veins, a restless wolf snarling in her eyes. Fair enough.

_Off with their heads._

* * *

**Okay so... I think everybody knows what's going to happen in the next chapters- I'm quite eager myself to write them honestly. **_  
_

**Goodbye and goodnight, all of you!  
**


	24. Chapter 24

**Personal rant time:**

**Oh my God guys. Really. I just saw Les Miserables- the musical movie- and I just. Argh. So awesome. **

**I need the book now, that one, and Notre Dame de Paris, because I love Victor Hugo. Once I finish reading the Three Musketeers saga, of course... I'm having an affair with the classics, and I don't know why. Oh well, until Patrick Rothfuss decides to publish the last novel of the Kingkiller Chronicles series, then I'll go back to high fantasy stuff I guess... Really, he's awesome. Even if his utmost incompetent at sticking to deadlines, Pat is one of the coolest authors ever. **

**Me wants third book now, let's hope that it's finally released this year.**

**End of the rant, thanks for reading, my faithful pawns.**

**On with the story!**

* * *

She was leading them- though she was certain she was no leader, at all; at least not for them. Nor she would ever be. It just happened that Cheshire was _always_ the one a step ahead, running faster, understanding faster, thinking faster, _avoiding_ faster.

She had always relayed on her speed to keep her blood as she liked it- _inside_ her veins.

Behind her- just barely a meter away or two- Naruto was advancing fast, his teeth gritting, his eyes glaring to an undefined spot on the infinite black of the girl's coat- they took his _friend_, someone who was like him, that had known loneliness, madness, bitterness; that had escaped of those things and forged a name for himself.

And yet they took him. Because of what he had inside.

Naruto snarled and glared even harder, they _had_ to get him back, fast, _faster than fast_, before they could... before he was...

He shook his head; _no_, he would _not_ think about those things, he had to focus right now. His eyes settled once again on the girl in front of him, and then it hit him.

_Faster._

"_Cheshire!"_ He suddenly called, having had the epiphany, the moment of heavenly brilliance. "You _can_ disappear! Can't you just take us all to Suna?!"

It was a plea, a desperate cry, a hopeful not-quite-order.

He received a stony silence as an answer.

"Hey! Did you hear me?!" Because she probably was just thinking too hard or something to have properly listened to his words the first time.

Silence.

...Or she was just plainly ignoring him.

"Chesh?! What's wrong?! I thought you were _worried_ about Gaara! We'd lose a lot less time if we just _appeared there!_" Nothing. "Well! So much for claiming that you actually _cared_-"

He was cut midsentence when Cheshire abruptly stopped- and he almost ran into her. She turned around and looked at him dead in the eye.

Naruto gulped.

A disgusted snarl was replacing her usual smirk, no trace of her gentleness, of her good humour and calmness. She barely opened her clenched teeth and a low sound was tore from her throat, making her sound like an angry cat. Her breathing was ragged, her hands- hidden in the sleeves of her coat- trembling ever so slightly. And her eyes menacing, scared, angry...

She looked like she was about to leap onto Naruto and bite his head off.

And she was observing his expression, and she _knew_ what she probably looked like- and a small part of herself felt guilty and sorry- but she had been fighting off the insanity that was half her best friend, half her worst captor; she had been blaming herself and her general utmost ability to fail, the lost of her _muchness_, the self-loathing she carried _all the time_ because she wasn't what once she had been and she was chained in more ways than one and she was just simply _starving_ and she had thought the same idea as him many times already but she _couldn't_ because she wasn't completely herself and because she didn't quite understood how it worked and it _hurt_, it hurt to be so hungry and lonely and _tired_ _and unstable and crazy and ethereal and she had been ripped off many things already and she just didn't care anymore and could stand the pain but panicked when someone she cared about was in trouble and she was fighting against the compulsion of going on her own and hunt them down like the mad creature she was and let it all burn down to ashes and taste the blood on her tongue and-_

She blinked.

None of that was Naruto's fault. She simply denied with her head because she didn't trust her voice to come as anything more than a raspy sound, thick with a foreign accent, barely more than a growl.

And she turned around and kept on advancing, Naruto still on her tail, watching her with concern. Kakashi and Sakura where at his side, and Temari closing the formation.

The blonde boy eyed her carefully; he was almost sure he saw _something_ in the green panes of her eyes, something that curiously resembled a wolf snarling at him with bare teeth, haunting yellow eyes, and perhaps a falling teardrop. He shook it off as a trick of the light and the amount of stress he was bearing, and focused on rescuing Gaara once more.

The dark haired girl sighed. So maybe she _was_ a stupid animal after all, a primal creature that acted on instinct and had an inclination towards bloodlust. So maybe she _was_ like Sanguini after all, and her fate would be to become a tainted creature at some point in her life, her essence poisoned in such a way that her body would change and she would only be a shadow of Cheshire, a shadow of Aisha and Malchance and Grinner and the Queen of Miracles and... and...

Wait.

What if she developed extra arms, like Sanguini did?

Now _that_ could be useful. Yeah, maybe perhaps she would grow taller too, and she'd grow a tail- simply because she thought that would be cool- that resembled the generic Demon-like associated tail, and her teeth would sharpen and who knows? Perhaps even horns! But no horns that of a ram, she didn't like those horns, nope. Maybe, instead of Sanguini's change, her skin in turn would turn completely black! Not that beautiful, shiny, deep chocolate shade she often envied, but an endless black, like the pit of an abyss. Well... that _could_ be impressive, if she dared to think.

Okay, Chesh.

_Now_ she was sure she was losing it. Focus. Breathe; in, out.

She smiled at her own antics.

No, she wasn't like Sanguini, she had been taught different- she was _always_ different. She wasn't... ah, how had _he_ called her? A _"rabid dog that has to be put down before it infects the rest"_ yes, it had been quite the poetic thought.

Then he simply called her a bitch and she and she had frowned upon the lack of originality. Really. How dull of him.

Cheshire sighed, and rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Huh? I didn't know this town was in here" Naruto muttered.

"It's a civilian town" Temari explained, knowing well enough the path between the two villages. "Quite the traditional one, they like to know who is every single person that walks through their doors, and they make you sign loads and loads of papers and documents that take a lot of time."

"Well, we could just go around it and not enter." Sakura offered, always a sensible suggestion ready to offer.

"We could" Kakashi reasoned. "But it would take us at least four or five more hours to get to Sunagakure. I don't think we have plenty of time to lose."

"No, we don't" Naruto agreed, clenching his fists.

_Gaara_.

"I _might _have a third option..." Cheshire said so in almost a whisper, perhaps hoping to avoid being heard.

Temari turned around to look at the girl, who had been in the back of the group, silently fidgeting while they pondered what to do. She seemed oddly... anxious.

"What's your plan?" The pink kunoichi asked her, curiosity making her eyebrows shot up in her forehead.

"Oh, you'll see... I- umm" Since when did she staggered? "I have plenty of different... _names_, you could say. And different reputations too- which is actually quite funny, since I don't work as nearly as hard as I should to earn that many names and faces, most of the times people simply _misunderstand_... _stuff_... and then it's too late to correct them, or I just simply don't feel like it; because let's face it, it's incredibly amusing to listen the lengths of stories and rumours they invent some times, and though I never exactly _lie-_" She fell silent, realising she had been rambling. "Right. I can make us go through quickly. But you'll have to let me do _all_ the talking. Please."

They all exchanged glances.

"I think we could give Cheshire's plan a try." Kakashi shrugged.

Temari looked at the girl, while the other two agreed on following whatever tactic the short girl had to offer. And the Sand girl herself had to admit that she was quite curious too, so she simply nodded.

She watched as Cheshire sighed, and put on the hood of her coat, effectively covering her eyes and nose. Then, she proceeded to take off the headband she had tied around her neck, and hid it on the inside of her coat, before zipping it up completely, so that there was no show of her white dress underneath. She inhaled deeply, and changed her posture- she stood straighter, but her head hung low, her eyes focused on the floor. She started walking towards the village doors, with longer, _heavier_, steps, and with a sharp sign of her hand motioned them to follow her closely.

* * *

"State your name and business, please. Then you'll have to sign these forms, fill up a survey, take them to central office- that's the big building over there- ask for the supervisor signature, bring them here once again, and then wait while we make sure everything's in order. After that you'll be able to pass freely through the main gates and into- _eep!_"

The _boring_ looking man suddenly exclaimed when he finally dared to look at the four people party that were in front of his desk. There were two blondes, a man with a mask on his face and wild grey hair, a girl with vibrant pink hair... and _her_.

_She _had been the one that caused his startled reaction. He gulped, and slowly eyed the- quite short- body surrounded with that black cloak that seemed to be out of shadows, the white flames of the design probably inspired on the flames from the deepest Hell, her hidden face, only visible a part of a scar that touched the corner of her lips... those lips that were always twisted into a wretched smile.

But they were not smiling.

She was wearing a disgusted grimace.

_Oh no_.

"Y-You...! What are you... doing... here?" He tried- and failed- to control the trembling on his voice.

"That's nothing of your business. Now, tell me, are you a fool enough to anger Malchance, _human?_" She said so with such a spite in her voice that he felt his body temperature drop a few degrees.

Malchance, the witch- child. Malchance of the Fallen.

She was the girl, the young woman who had appeared one day covered in blood and with a big smile. She seemed to be able of doing things- _witchcraft_, maybe- nobody else could do. She knew everything, she was everywhere, she was the one desperate people went to when in need of a big favour.

She never granted favours though, she only made deals.

Everybody feared her- really? Was she really human? No, it couldn't be...- But nobody dared to stand in her way. If she wanted to pass, she would, and end of the discussion. So many haunting rumours swirled around her, trapping her in the misty darkness of the uncertain... Some said she once killed a queen and devoured her. Others that she mingled with Demons and tormented travellers on their journeys; or that she was a spirit, that roamed this world, unable to part because of a curse. She lit a whole city on fire, killing everybody inside. She talked to animals and lived on a cave in the forest, surrounded by ravens... Anybody who dared to visit her needed to complete a test that most times cost one's life. And then the deal- oh, the prices for her favours where high alright. She'd grant you protection from the spirits- you'd give her your firstborn in return. She could heal your dying mother- you'd give her three litres of your blood, and you were not allowed to ask what would she use it for.

She was a Demon who wore the skin of a girl.

At least those were the rumours, of course, no one ever actually _saw_ her commit any of those crimes. But still.

"Well?" She said once again, her voice the archetype of authority.

The man stood up immediately, and ordered to let her walk through the gates- and a couple of the guards even paled when they saw her.

"Thank you, I am _most grateful, my dear._" She flashed the man a twisted smile that made him gag.

Cheshire swallowed the sigh that was raising high on her throat, and, grin on her face, walked the confident steps until she reached the entrance. Of course, not even a glance, and the doors were already being opened for her.

_Malchance_.

Who would dare to defy her authority?

Aisha whined, tired, hungry, lonely... she just wanted to lie on the grass, hidden in the deepest forest, with wolves and bears and an eagle made of gold, with nobody else around to mock her, fear her, _hunt_ her. No one to betray her, or ask her anything.

Nobody else but her.

And perhaps maybe Okku, but that's not the point.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she stopped when she noticed she was not being followed. She turned around, an arching eyebrow hidden beneath her hood, and looked at Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and Temari being stopped and asked if they filled correctly the form thirty-two A.

For God's sake! They had _no time_ for this!

"Mine. _Those_" She said, retracing her steps and gesturing her friends with one hand "Are mine. All of them."

Of course, nothing else was needed to make them pass without any further question.

And she turned around once again, to keep on walking their path, nobody stopped them again, nobody asked them anything... nobody came near enough to do so anyway. Cheshire walked and like Moses opening the sea, people sneaked away from their way, many of them not even looking at her- who knew? She could _curse_ them with just a look, maybe!

Soon enough- but not too soon for Cheshire's taste- they had crossed the city, and exited through the other entrance, finally able to follow the road up to Sunagakure.

Still, Cheshire was silent, and she kept silence for half a kilometre, until she stopped, and finally allowed that heavy sigh to escape her throat. She took of the hood, and resumed her trademark walk- light, barely touching the floor, shoulders ever-so-slightly hunched.

"Cheshire? What was _that_, exactly?" Sakura asked, trotting up to her.

"That, my dear odd-coloured girl, was the truest show of human stupidity. I mean, I've met some foolish people alright, but that city... well, they take the trophy home. Really."

Naruto caught up with the two girls, walking next to Cheshire's other side.

"But why did they seem _scared_ of you?" The blonde said.

"Because they _are,_ Naruto." Simple answers to simple questions.

"But _why_?" Temari peeked into the conversation from behind them.

Cheshire shrugged.

"Because they just do. It's just that... well, I happen to stumble upon the most farfetched situations. And then they all just assumed stuff, and even though I never actually _lied_, I never took enough time to correct them. It's quite fun, to see them making up all sorts of weird stories and rumours... sometimes I drink children's blood; some other times I'm a crazy hermit that's into black magic, and I even heard one where I'm the runaway bride of an old king, who cursed me when I refused to marry him. At least they have quite a lot of imagination. And that's how, my dearest friends, I manage to have that many different reputations." She finished off with a tired smile.

Naruto looked at her, and suddenly she appeared weary, _older_. There were just so many things he stilled didn't knew about her...

For example, what kind of situation could have happened to her to make that village invent so many colourful rumours about Chesh? Of course, that being the shady girl she was, not even if anybody actually _wanted_ to see if any of their stories was true, could have done so.

Cheshire, Cheshire, so ethereal and _away_...

"And what about you?" The girl spoke without looked at anyone in particular, keeping her eyes on the road in front of her. "Ain't ye goin' to ask me anythin' 'bout it?" She intentionally rolled her accent in her tongue.

"Ask something?" Kakashi replied from the back, obviously _knowing _the question had been directed to him. "Not really. But I had been curious for a while, you know, to see _who_ was that Malchance you told me about. Why did you choose that name, anyway?"

"I didn't. It means 'bad luck', and I suppose somebody just decided to call me like that, and then more and more people followed and, well..." She shrugged. "I found myself with a new name, I guess. I'm the bad luck personified, or people consider they have bad luck when they find me. I don't know, I'm not sure myself."

He simply smiled softly behind his mask.

"Still, I like Cheshire best." She confided the four of them. "Cheshire is nicer, calmer. Malchance is too much grumpy and a little bit angry."

* * *

Half a day. They were half a day from finally reaching Sunagakure- they were already stepping into the endless dunes of the desert.

Half a day from finally learning _what the Hell had happened to Gaara._

And then she could finally give a hand to her friend, bite and snarl and curse. She held the hilt of her sword tightly, mentally focusing her whole attention into the future task. _'Mercy'_, that's what the katana said, right?

Right.

Wrong.

* * *

**So... yeah. I need to ask you something, my loyal readers, and I'm going to **_**please**_** encourage you to review, if not about the chapter, at least about what I'm about to ask.**

**I've had an epiphany the other day- meaning, I was tired and sleepy and started to think about life in general. And suddenly, I foresaw completely another different ending- or something like that- to this story. **

**Maybe, some day in the future- quite A LOT of chapters ahead- I'm going to turn this story into an M rated one- always keeping it classy, nothing too graphic, nothing like those cheap and poorly written lemons that wander around asking to be killed. With fire. **

**Now the question: what would you think about that? Changing the rating and adding those... 'steamy' parts, I mean. I want to hear opinions, since you're the ones enjoying- or something like that- from my writing. **


	25. Chapter 25

**Yo guys. 'Sup? (Self note: don't talk like that never again.) So, out of curiosity, what are your favourite books? Just a simple attempt to get to know my readers. And 'cause I'm bored and there's a major heat wave so I can't go out today.**

**Which sucks, since I was planning on going to laze around on the promenade with some guy friends, you know, watching the sea, getting picked on because I'm short and they're all so tall (especially the one who plays rugby. I swear he *needs* to learn how to control his strength.) **

**God. I need a boyfriend.**

**Whatever.**

**Read on!**

* * *

She was watching the moon.

She was watching the moon, and he was watching her.

Naruto had woken up near midnight- not that he actually had had some decent sleep; even with Kankuro out of danger and the prospect of- finally- going to find Gaara the next day, he still had been restless.

So he had decided that, after some time turning and tossing his sheets around, he should probably go take a walk or something around the empty hallways. Maybe to clear his mind or something... well, what if he meditated? Cheshire always seemed to be doing so, and she was always so _calm_... Perhaps that would help...

Not as if he actually _knew_ how to proper meditate, at any rate.

And Cheshire wasn't always so calm; apparently, he already knew that she could be slightly harsh if anyone tried to question her freedom- he had asked her once to stay, and he would never do so again, he had learnt his lesson already- and maybe even _cold_- the whole 'I'm not going after Sasuke because it's not my business to do so' was still in his mind from time to time-; but he had never seen her react the way she had...

He _knew_ she had some issues- not telling her past, not allowing anybody to actually share her burdens, not being able to stay still too much in the same location...- but still...

Still. It had been terribly unexpected. Okay, so he _may_ have hinted that she didn't cared about what may happen to Gaara, but the way she looked at him simply froze the blood inside his veins. She looked... wild, feral even. As if ready to leap onto him and bite his head off instantly.

The weird thing is that he simple _knew_ that her reaction hadn't been completely caused by his comment, no, there was something else... there _must_ had been something else to cause her to snap like that.

But what?

He sighed; there were so many things she refused to tell him...

For example, _what_ had exactly caused her the reputation of Mal... Malche... _'Bad luck'_? Yeah, sure, "a misunderstanding and stupidity and the fact that she never actually corrected them", but... why would someone think of Cheshire as some sort of she-Demon that drinks children's blood? That didn't sound like nice Chesh at all...

Then again, he actually didn't know _who_ Cheshire was. He didn't even know her actual _name_, and, to be honest, sometimes he even considered _what_ Cheshire was. Oh, she looked human indeed, but sometimes, she looked so... _different_.

Like now, for example.

Naruto had heard some noise coming from the infirmary- the place where Kankuro was resting- and he followed his gut, just in case that Sasori dude was back to finish his job or something.

But he found himself staring at Cheshire instead, while she stared at the moon.

Knowing her, she had probably went into the infirmary to keep an eye on Kankuro while he slept, it wouldn't be the first time she awaited in silence for an ally to recover- always there, silent Cheshire, like the ghost of a guardian, never interrupting, but _always_ watching...

Naruto looked at her; she wasn't wearing her usual attire, no. Instead of the short white dress, the gloves, and etcetera, she had nothing but a light gray nightgown- where did she got it from? Judging the size, it wasn't Temari's-; off where her headband that usually hugged her neck, off her sandals- though she had bandages on her feet and the lower part of her calves-, off the sword, and off her smile. Looking at her like this, she appeared _almost_ normal, fragile, her brow slightly furrowed in the faint sign of her sour demeanour. There was certainly something that worried her.

Watching her like that, still as a gargoyle, eyes fixated, enthralled by the glowing full moon, she was the living image of a fairy tale. It was then when Naruto realised why he noticed so much the way she walked, almost hovering above the floor, like an apparition; because she didn't belong quite entirely to this world. Watching her like that, he understood at some primal level of his brain that she treaded paths undiscovered, that she wandered by the faint line of reality and dreams- ethereal Cheshire, always looking so _fade_,always being the _stranger_-, she didn't quite belonged to where she was.

But where did she belong to?

Was she a spirit that escaped from her shackles but couldn't find her eternal rest...?

No, he shook his head. That was stupid. Cheshire was human- she herself had told her so, and she did _not_ lie.

Perhaps one day she'll tell him, maybe. She said he was her friend after all, right? And friends were supposed to have each other's backs, right?

Right.

It was almost disappointing the fact that she didn't trust him enough to share her secrets...

He snapped out when she started moving- really? Hadn't she noticed him on the doorframe yet?-; Cheshire raised a glass of water Naruto noticed she had been holding in her right hand, and took a long sip, closing her eyes. He looked at her bare hand- the first time he could actually see the skin on her arms- and discovered that there were little scars all over her light skin, almost glowing in the moonlight, like tiny silver serpents. She also seemed to have dried blood stains on what little he could see of her palm, like old scars that never quite healed completely.

And she had another tattoo: a small, black flame on her inner wrist.

Cheshire turned around, her short hair moving in slow motion behind her, as if she was under water, and neared Kankuro's bed, leaving her water on his nightstand.

She sighed, troubled.

Then she eyed the sleeping boy and almost-but-not-quite smiled. He was out of danger, weary, but out of danger. She encircled him with a lowered head, observing, waiting... and when she reached a full circle she aimed to grab her glass without tearing her eyes from the sand ninja, but then again, she was probably too deep into her own thoughts to notice that she grabbed a small cup of the poison that Sakura had extracted- and, for some reason, a medical ninja had left in there-; she raised it to her lips, and gave a long gulp...

_Wait what._

Naruto jumped from his place, his eyes wide open.

"Cheshire!" He cried after her, worried.

The girl simply blinked a couple of times and lowered the cup, eyeing the dark substance curiously, and ignoring Naruto- she excelled at ignoring. She licked her lips and hummed, watching with an arched eyebrow the offending beverage.

"_Bitter"_ She murmured.

And then out of curiosity, she tasted it again.

"CHESHIRE!" He said once again, because _she could die_, what the Hell was she doing?!

Without warning the girl vanished and appeared in front of him, holding a finger to his lips, her other hand busy with the cup.

"Not so loud" She whispered. "Kankuro is sleeping."

Maybe so, but she was _drinking poison_.

"But...! What are you...?! We need to wake up Sakura now!" He rushed out, trying not to lose his cool.

The girl smiled at him.

"No need, I'm immune to poison" She eyed his confused expression. "Come, let us find a better place to talk and I'll put your mind at ease..."

And she started walking without warning, guiding him through narrow hallways and infinite stairs, hiding in shadows until they were finally standing on the roof, the chilly wind of the desert playing with her hair.

"Oh, I visit Suna quite often" She answered his unasked question. "So I've learnt to find all the places I might want to go. You know, Gaara and I come here to talk often- that is, when I don't barge into his office without previous warning" She smiled a sad smile.

"I didn't know you visit him so much..." He said, maybe perhaps a little bit jealous, because _she_ had said he was one of her closest friends, yet she hadn't appeared during his training, not even once on the two and a half years.

Instead, she visited Gaara quite a lot.

Not that he complained though, Gaara was his friend too, and he knew the Kazekage needed all the friends he could get- he somehow smiled upon thinking of gentle Cheshire feeding the redhead cookies and telling him wild stories and just being all over the place- because that's what she did, she entered furtively into your life until you turned around and you noticed that she had dragged you into her own tornado and it was too late to get out... not that anyone wanted to get out of Cheshire's whirlwind of smiles and riddles-; while the Kazekage kept that serious face of him, maybe awkward even.

He noticed his mood was dropping when thinking of their captive friend, and tried to change it.

"You said you were immune to poison?" He asked, remembering why there were here on the first place.

The girl smiled knowingly- though what did she knew, he ignored.

"Yes." And she sipped from the cup again.

"How?"

"Well... Well." She started, trying to get her thoughts in order. "You know how genetics affect us, right? How kekkei genkais are passed down through blood, such as many abilities and disabilities, maybe even some disease..." She paused and looked at him, waiting for him to confirm he grasped the idea.

"Yeah, so?"

"And you are familiar with the existence of different blood types, right? A, B, AB, O...you know what I'm talking about; and that these different types of blood don't always accept other type of blood in the same system. People with O negative blood can only receive blood that's O negative too- a bitchy type of blood if you ask me- anyway, you get the point. What I'm saying is that my dad passed down onto me his blood, which is a _special_ sort of blood. You could say that it's an extreme version of the O positive, it's not only that it doesn't mix with any other types of blood; it doesn't mix with _anything_ but the same sort of blood." She smiled. "Therefore, poison might enter my system, but since it doesn't get _inside_ my blood..." She took a step back.

Then she coughed a little bit, until she ended up spitting some dark substance on the floor.

"Since it doesn't get inside, it doesn't affect me. I can just, you know, spit it out or whatever. The same applies for viruses and stuff, have you ever seen me sick?"

"Well, now that you say it... no, never. Not even a cold..."

"See? It's like I've got a super strong immunological system!" She grinned her too- wide grin.

"Wow... that surely is useful..." He mumbled, with a hint of envy.

"Yeah, but it's got its disadvantages too... Oh, don't look at me like that. What sort of third class ninja would I be if I told you _what_ my disadvantages are, huh?"

* * *

"_Knight endangers Queen"_

"_No, that's wrong."_

_Thirteen-year old Cheshire looked at him._

"_What do you mean? Watch the game, Knight endangers Queen."_

_The boy's brow furrowed._

"_A knight can never endanger the queen, what sort of lousy knight would he be if he did so?"_

_The younger girl's mouth opened and then closed. Well, it had been a fair argument._

"_Nori" She stated, looking serious. "We are playing _chess._" She said slowly, looking at her friend as if he was dumb._

"_Still" He continued. "I don't like this game, Rega." He added, finally._

"_...You're weird." She said. "How can you not like chess?"_

"_How _can you_? Besides, it's not as if I was taught to like it."_

"_It's a great game to create strategies."_

"_So? I don't like it. I don't like dumb games in which knights are stupid enough to endanger queens."_

_She giggled. _

"_I would never endanger you, for example" He simply commented._

"_Nori, I am not a queen, nor you are a knight. And stop calling me 'Rega' already..."_

"_I don't think you couldn't be one if you wanted to; you could, probably. You've always managed to get what you want. And I've told you that you can pick any name you want, _Cheshire_, but you'll always be little Rega to me."_

_She rolled her eyes._

"_I am thirteen years old, I can't be a queen. Besides I don't get what I want, I get what I _need_, that's the difference."_

"_Puh-lease, you're the daughter of your father, with a simple look you could get people to throw themselves at the ocean. I know _I_ would."_

"_Nori. Quit acting like my servant or something, you are not."_

"_Remember I'm supposed to watch over you...?" He told her, almost mockingly._

"_The fact that your great-great-great-grand something saved the life of my great-great-great-grand something is doesn't matter."_

"_For generations my family has been protecting yours ever since. I'd say it matters, Rega."_

"_Well then you're doing a lousy job, since I'm always out of your grasp" It had meant to be an innocent joke._

_His silence told her otherwise._

"_Rega... you never come back home anymore... And when you do, you stay a couple of days, alone, or inside, discussing stuff with your father..."_

"_I _know_." She looked at him. "Listen Nori, you know me- sadly- and I'm not going to lie... I don't think I can call this place 'home' anymore..."_

"_You think you'll be able to call it so again some time?"_

"_Perhaps. I hope so, it's a nice place."_

"_It is indeed." _

"_...Even if every time I come around I have to have you breathing down my neck at my every step..."_

"_Hey, I am three years older than you, miss. Respect your elders."_

"_Elders? That's _bullshit._ We practically grew up together."_

_She moved forward and ruffled his sandy hair. Then she looked again at their game, smirking; there was no way he could win her._

_Nori looked at the game too, staring intently with his dark blue eyes. Finally, he appeared ready to make a move; he approached his hand to the board..._

_And he flipped it over, making all the pieces fly away._

_Cheshire looked at him, half amused, half disapproving._

"_What was that for?" She asked._

"_I don't know. Seemed like the dramatic enough thing to do" He simply shrugged._

"_Oh, the drama."_

* * *

"Itachi Uchiha" Sakura said.

Cheshire looked at the man in the black cloak with red clouds. Well, by what she could see of his face, he looked like Sasuke alright.

She looked back at her comrades and noticed the hate in their eyes- except maybe in Chiyo's eyes-; but of course, not only he was a major criminal from Konohagakure, he was also the cause that made Sasuke leave the village, in search for power to end his brother's life.

Of course.

Well then, look at this merry little reunion.

She threw her own coat aside, and grasped the hilt of her sword, just in case.

He was _not_ her personal enemy, after all. It was _not_ her village the one he had betrayed, after all.

But he was keeping them from reaching Gaara.

_Queen endangers Bishop._

* * *

**So yeah, sorry about that chess talk... I liked it anyway.**

**And I wanted to put in the middle of there a little fragment of Chesh's friends back home- because she surely must have friends from where she came from, right? ...Besides, I want to highlight the way she talked to him- much more simpler.  
**

**On a side note, "Nori" besides being the name of one of Thorin Oakenshild dwarves (Tolkien, The Hobbit, you know... Fili & Kili = love) it's a Japanese name that means 'law' or 'lawful' or something like that.**

**So what do you think?**


	26. Chapter 26

**No guys, I didn't forget about you. My life has been pretty much hectic these days and everything's crazy lately. Too much things at the same time. And I seriously didn't want to give you a half-decent chapter written in a hurry in between running form one place to another.**

**I *know* I've been updating my other story, but I'm going to be honest, I find it easier to write than this one. Maybe because of the plenty of space I've got to come up with my own stuff- the Narutoverse is pretty much awesome on its own, and I don't feel like... ruining it with some poorly written stuff. So I spend quite a lot of time thinking about where am I going with this story.**

**Well, here are my excuses for being absent for such a long time:**

**I've been modelling for some photo shoots my redhead friend has been doing. Me. Modelling. It still sounds pretty weird to me. I mean, I've been told I somewhat look like a model when I wear skinny jeans and heels- Hidden heel hi top sneakers = 3 – but still... I'm not a model. I'm the gamer girl. That cynical bastard who seats with her feet up the table. I'm not a model. **

**Also, I bought a horse and named him Aramis. He's a Lusitano silver dapple stallion with pedigree and all- I know, pretty **_**classy**_**- and I've been spending most of my free time training him. He's learning to jump and loving it. And my coach and I are taking him to an exhibition next September. Let's hope he wins something.**

**Last but not least; I started college. Finally. Vet school it's quite fun and hardcore, even if I've been studying from the very first day. Stay in school kids, education it's quite important. No, I do not care that it's boring. Yes, I know what a pain some teachers can be. Still, it's pretty much important, and not everybody can pay a decent school. So don't let it go to waste. Or I'll bitch-slap you through the internet. Seriously. **

**Rant mode off. **

**Enjoy my dear readers. **

* * *

_Split, split, split, split._

Do you know that feeling of something being _wrong?_

It's in the electricity that goes through the air. In the way your heart pounds uncontrollably in your chest. You feel weird- and not in the good way.

_Split, split, split, split._

It's funny how sometimes life has its own way of twisting the events. Sometimes it looks like someone up there, or the universe, or _something_ takes a sadistic pleasure, has a wicked sense of humour.

(Cheshire wasn't sure what was it that ruled the way of the world, but she believed there was something. Some stronger force. Some all-knowing being. There _had_ to be.)

_Split, split, split, split._

The most cynical of us can appreciate the irony. It's almost a sublime thing.

When you're awake enough to realise it, that's it.

Which she wasn't, by the way. She was barely conscious, drifting in between the state of being aware and surrendering to the darkness.

_Split, split, split, split._

But her sense of smell was awake enough, and even if her only desire was to fall prey of the silence and lack of light, her brain was still working- it _never_ stopped. She knew that smell. She blamed it on the exhaustion she was feeling, until she felt

Metallic.

It was blood. Somewhere, there, close or far, she didn't know...

It didn't matter, anyway.

She had a migraine; she couldn't care less about the smell of blood. For some brief seconds she actually wondered about her whereabouts, but the drumming in her ears made it impossible to focus on anything on particular.

She couldn't open her eyes. She tried, but her eyelids weighted like lead.

_Split, split, split, split_.

She heard some shifting around her and the small fraction on the back of her head that actually had somehow achieved to maintain certain degree of interest on the situation felt a pang of curiosity.

She made a vain attempt to move a hand, but she couldn't. She blamed it on the exhaustion she was feeling, until she heard a familiar sound.

_Metallic._

Chains.

Ignoring the feeling of dread and most certain doom, she fought to make at least one coherent thought out of the foggy haze of her brain.

What had just happened?

She could swear she heard laughing. That unnerving laugh that sent chills down her spine and make suppressed a grunt. She also could swear she felt a wet and sticky thing at her neck.

But she wasn't sure of what was real and what not.

Gathering all her will-power, she opened her mouth- and she was thirsty, oh so _thirsty_- and muttered a few raspy-sounding words:

"Quit it, Allure, I'm already feeling awful as it is. Go _away_ and pester somebody else..."

_Damned_ Demons with their _damned_ personalities. Cheshire always went to that secluded part of the forest to meditate in peace, and yet they always seemed to come to annoy her, torment her, bind her to her spot and mock her.

"I see that you're finally coming back to consciousness." Came a male voice from some point near her.

Wait.

She _knew_ that voice. Except she didn't.

Oh dear Lord, everything was just so confusing...

She opened one eye, slowly, and took in her surroundings. Everything was a confusing mass of black and intense red, and why did the colours looked almost negative?

It didn't help her migraine.

She focused on the figure standing tall in front of her, and had to blink a few times until she actually recognised him.

Well...

He definitely wasn't Allure or some of the other petty Demons who used her as a toy from time to time.

Nope, he was very much human.

And his name was Itachi.

Ah, but they- Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Chiyo and herself- had been battling him before, right? Yes, yes indeed. What happened after that?

She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow, trying to think, trying to ignore the drumming in her ears, the fever-like feeling that started to spread from her chest down to her legs, making her feel even more light-headed.

Her memories were a blur, everything started to come back to her in flashes of bright colours and loud shouting, fast moving, Kakashi ordering them to close their eyes, she failing to comply his order- _why _must she be like that?- and then...

Then a pair of frightening red eyes.

And it was then that she knew she had been trapped.

She cursed herself and the messes she managed to get into.

Cheshire tilted her head to the side, and pursed her lips.

"Fancy meeting you here." She told almost too-casually the man. "But, where is _here_, exactly, if you don't mind me asking?"

Itachi raised an amused eyebrow at her demeanour.

"You are trapped in my Genjutsu, Tsukuyomi." He informed her cooly, without a hint of mercy in his voice.

The girl looked down at her own body and discovered with a start that her hands were chained to the floor, forcing her to remain sitting down.

She did _not_ enjoy to be told to _sit down_.

Also, she saw a sword stuck into her gut, her blood dripping along the edge of the blade to finally fell in little droplets to the ground.

_Split, split, split, split._

She hummed half-amused by the fact that she didn't actually felt the pain before she looked at the sword. _Now_ she was feeling it, and it was sharp and simply _horrible_. She winced and looked at Itachi again.

"I'd say you are right. I am very much trapped indeed." She said, and realised the man had another sword in his hand. Probably to keep on hurting her.

Tch.

How _annoying_.

"I am glad you agree with me." He said, while slowly putting another sword through her body, just in the spot where her heart was supposed to be.

Cheshire winced again, but no sound escaped her lips.

"Yes, it's something good to find someone who agrees, isn't it?" Her voice was weary, but still not trembling.

Her migraine, on the other hand, was getting worse and worse.

Itachi crouched in front of her to look into her eyes, scrutinizing the girl under his stare.

"I'm quite curious. You're not screaming." He stated, matter-of-factly.

She grinned a too-wide grin that hurt her cheeks, but she didn't care.

"That's a fact, not a question."

"Most people scream through this jutsu; or beg for release, or spit out some empty threats. Why don't you?" He seemed truly interested.

Cheshire shrugged- an awkward movement taking her state into account.

"I might be a little bit too proud for begging, and even if I did, would you truly feel guilty?" She shook her head. "It's your game here, your rules, I don't think that yelling some curses at you would make any change honestly... and" She grinned once again. "And I'm no stranger to pain. Doesn't mean I don't feel it, I just can hide it well enough."

"Well enough to avoid screaming... huh. Interesting." He poked on of the swords cutting through her. "Still you got caught in my jutsu pretty easily."

She winced, perhaps in shame.

"I'll be the first one to accept I'm quite the fool..." She trailed off, feeling the taste of blood in her mouth. She looked at her hands again. "I don't suppose you could let me go of these chains? I have a major aversion towards them."

He procured another sword out of thin air.

"I _could_. I won't." Repeating his motions, he cut through her skin and flesh, just below her throat.

Cheshire bit her lip, but silent as she was she made no sound at all.

"Still nothing?" He asked. "That's _something_, I'll give you that."

"Thank you, I try." She gave him a wry smile.

He stood up and walked around her.

"Doesn't really seem like you do, though; you're not really fighting it. You certainly seemed fierier out there with your allies. Do you always give up so easily?"

She shrugged awkwardly once again, and licked her dried lips.

"Maybe." She said.

"Truly a shame, girl."

"I second that." Cheshire muttered.

She inhaled sharply at the feeling of a fourth blade being inserted into her body between her shoulder blades. Itachi came once again into her field of vision.

"Who are you, anyway?" He asked her.

Who was she indeed?

Right now... Cheshire. Maybe. Because Malchance would most certainly be snarling and growling and telling him to back off. Aisha would be unbreakable, sweet and calm; she'd be at _peace_. Rega...

She didn't know what she would be doing. And that terrified her to no end.

"I'm not sure." She said, more to herself than to him.

"What?"

She wasn't sure. She didn't know. No idea. Not a clue. How silly could that be? She smiled, she grinned, she felt like slapping herself.

How silly could that be?

And she came up with a thousand more names and titles to answer him, and her mind whispered a ton of ill-sounding nicknames, and she could swore she heard Sanguini laughing at some distant point and Allure and her pinkish skin and Demon horns and Demon tail smiling.

And Okku grunting.

And she looked at Itachi and his serious face made her want to laugh- and she _did_, actually, she let go husky barks of laughter that sounded cold and faintly musical- because it was all just so ridiculous and there was a wounded, restless, _starving_ wolf walking in the depth of her eyes that grimaced at her antics. The animal was not amused. It was tired. Trapped. Chained. Hungry.

The man gripped Cheshire's jaw with his hand, and waited for the girl to stop her maddening fit of laughter. He looked at the animal in her eyes, he took in the over-stretched smile.

"I haven't the slightest idea." She told him.

And when she pronounced those words her lips quivered faintly, and he understood much more than what she would like him to do.

"It's an act." He said, unfazed. "That smile is fake, isn't it?"

"Just because it's fake doesn't mean it's not real..."

"I thought that was exactly what _fake_ meant." He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Might as well be. I can't tell anymore." She admitted thoughtfully. "This migraine isn't letting me think straight."

He nodded, and put _yet another _sword trough her. She sighed.

"It's interesting, you know?" She said conversationally.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Many things." She was too tired and her brain too muddy to come up with anything more clever than that.

And by that, she was ashamed.

"Certainly you are a weird girl..." He muttered.

"I know. I'd like to discuss my weirdness with you some other time. Maybe with a cup of tea and without many sharp objects. Maybe. You seem unusually rational for being- well. _You_."

He stared at her long and hard.

"Perhaps. Don't count on it though. Anyway, I think our time here is ending."

"Do I get a bedtime story?"

"No."

"Ah. How bad."

* * *

Cheshire opened her eyes, but closed them once again against the- _too bright_- light. She was breathing hard and sweating bullets, her brain working overtime trying to rationalize and break the last half an hour into teeny tiny fragments until it could understand it fully.

There was a voice calling her from afar, very afar... and something warm near her abdomen. It felt nice, actually. Like a warm cup of tea after a freezing day. She tried once again opening her eyes, and saw pink. And then yellow, and some shade of grey.

And she looked at the source of the warmth and noticed a couple of hands placed above her blood-stained clothes, with some sort of glowing-thing emanating from them... She knew the theory. That was a...

A...

Healing jutsu.

Cheshire actually _screeched_ and backed away from the hand as fast as she could, shaking in both fear and distaste.

Sakura looked at her, blinking away her stupor.

"Do. _Not._ Touch. Me." The dark-haired girl ordered.

"Cheshire! You okay?" Naruto asked concerned.

But she paid no attention to him.

"I do _not _like doctors, Sakura." She kept on stating the rules.

The other girl nodded slowly, evidently trained to deal with unwilling patients.

"Cheshire. I am here to help." She tried to calm her, but received a low growl in response.

"No doctors." It was her sentence and it was final.

Kakashi approached her and crouched next to her.

"Are you okay? Fortunately you were caught barely more than a couple of minutes. Had it been longer and you wouldn't be even awake."

She shrugged.

"Been better. Definetely. But I've also been worse." She looked around. "What happened, anyway?"

"Naruto defeated him" The blonde boy beamed behind the jounin. "It appears that he wasn't the real Itachi. It was actually a distraction of sorts."

"...A very good distraction..." She whispered, her ego still bruised.

She felt a gentle hand in her shoulder, and looked up at the bluest eyes she ever knew.

"Are you _sure_ you can go on?" Naruto asked her, his eyes intense.

She nodded, returning the intensity.

"Just give me five minutes to gather my thoughts. It's always good to do so."

* * *

**Aaaaand that's it. For now. Since I've literally got five hours to sleep, after that, I've got to go to college- BEFORE SIX IN THE MORNING- since we're going on a field trip to the country side to work with a real vet. Before six in the morning. Bye.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Okay guys, please picture that I'm writing this huddled in my leopard print blanket and an oversized guy's hoodie- I stole it from a friend a year ago- and a mug of honeyed coffee. I've caught a terrible- horrible, dreadful- cold. I hate being sick. And I've already lost two days of college. I hate falling behind in my studies.**

**And I'm home alone. I hate being sick with no one to take care of me. All I want is to cuddle with someone while they pet my hair and let me feel miserable. None of you can help me with that, since I'm pretty much sure all of you live faaaar away from me.**

**And Olivia- my tabby cat- is ignoring me **_**again**_**.**

**Read on while I sniffle.**

* * *

"_Watch out, Aisha, don't let your eyes to be clouded by hate. Always keep a clear head, distance yourself from falling into the maw of madness and sins."_

Cheshire breathed in.

"_Daughter, child, understand this: you and I are, by blood, a lot closer to life itself than most human beings. We are bound to _feel _in a much more intense way, in a way that most don't even begin to understand. That's why it's important for you to never forget to keep a safe distance from your own emotions. You will walk a road that's in a higher plane than this earth we live in."_

She breathed out.

"_Love, come on little flower. I know you must be sad, I know you are in pain, but keep a smile still, take no harsh decisions based on rage, make no promises out of happiness."_

She could feel Naruto's angry trembling next to her, his uneven ragged breathing, the way his fist were forced closed.

"_So tell me, Rega, will you really grow up to be all like your mother and father? Not that you're going to die young! I mean... You know, all like... wise and powerful and _majestic_ and stuff... Always looking sort of unreachable and all that."_

At her other side, Sakura swallowed hard and furrowed her brow. Cheshire could swear she was hearing the other girl's frantic thoughts flying by one after the other in her brain.

"_Thou art not beast, cub. Thou will _not_ behave like a senseless creature, nor attack before asking, nor stab in the back in their sleep. Thou art a warrior, a captain, thou have honour."_

She felt Kakashi shift ever-so-slightly, his demeanour becoming unnervingly calm. He had been trained well.

Chiyo hardened her stare, shifting between shocked and enraged.

"_Try to deny it all you want, _human_, but you are as much a Demon as I am. Your books are dripping with blood, and yet you remain impassive. Heh, you're not nearly the mythical creature most believe that you are, you're not invincible and untouchable. All it takes for you to snap is one little gentle push over the edge... One push, and then you lose it..."_

She wasn't hearing. Cheshire knew- some distant rational part of her brain _knew_- that they were talking. She saw their lips moving- possibly to keep on satirising the situation and marring the Kazekage's name- but she wasn't able to interpret the words into coherent messages.

Which language were they talking in, anyway?

Ah. Details, details...

She could only focus on the scene in front of her, on the hunched figure with a covered face and the blond man with a smirk clinging onto his lips for dear life.

And on the- she didn't want to say _body_, because that sounded simply _wrong_- below said man.

Unmoving.

Still.

_Gaara._

She could recognise that dark mop of red hair anywhere, the pale figure with blackened eyelids, the impassive expression of his face.

Though if she looked- _really looked_- she could see that it was slightly pained, like he had been hurting before...

Before...

A low growl tore from the depths of her throat.

There was some more talking, Naruto screamed something, Kakashi tried to calm him down in order to trace a plan, a beeline for them to follow so that they could do something regarding all the _wrongness_ of the situation.

_No_. She knew death was a part of life, she knew it and she accepted it such as she accepted that always that it rained, the sun came out after. It was only natural.

Except it wasn't. Not in this case, at least. It had been forced; it was unnecessary, unfair, _unnatural_.

And for a split second she wished she was her mother, beautiful and terrible and capable of calming a raging storm with a smile.

And she wished she was her father, tall and powerful and filled with authority; one look, one word- usually '_stop_' would do- and Hell would make silence and bow down to him.

And she wished she was Santino, because he would know what to do, he would be able to keep a cold head and handle things with nothing more than a flick of his wrist. He would ask time to run backwards and it would comply.

She wished many things, but wishes aren't more than that, really. She opened her mouth to say something, _anything_, but she couldn't tell if she was actually talking- or making any sound at all. She couldn't tell many things as of lately.

What she knew is that her vision blurred and she blinked slowly, trying to _understand_- yet the wolf inside her eyes was howling and snarling and trying to break off its chain, it was angry and tired and hungry, and willing to tear off to pieces anyone who came _too close_.

Even though her eyes were wide open- they were open... right?- everything got black without her even trying, it was black and the lines smudged until everyone were distant clouds of colours, she felt every cell in her body trembling in anticipation, her nerves painfully aware, hypersensitive of the thrumming of life around her...

Who was she and who was who?

What was up and what was down?

She felt a strong release of raw power next to her, it was red and orange and yellow, it screamed and lashed against its chains.

Such as she should do herself.

But she was tired, tired and locked away.

"_For good_"- a little voice in her head said.

And she sniffed the air and became more primal, she chose a prey out of all of them- obnoxiously yellow, sitting on the floor above _nothing_. Nothing but a life_less_ empty space.

Cheshire knew she wasn't Cheshire. She knew she had no name. She was hunger. And along with the source of incredibly bright power and the steady cloud of light gray, she took off after her prey.

* * *

Kakashi looked firstly at their enemies; they had finally arrived to their hideout after all those decoys and traps designed to slow them down. He narrowed his eyes at them when he took in the scene: they had arrived late. They were supposed to rescue the Kazekage, to bring him back to the safety of Sunagakure once more, but they had arrived late.

Had he been a little bit more like less serious he would probably have appreciated the slight wondrous irony of him being, well, late.

But he was to busy watching attentively at Gaara's dead body being disrespected by one of the Akatsuki men- Deidara, he remembered- while he boasted and gloated in their apparent victory.

He was to busy noticing Naruto's outburst and sudden flood of red-like chakra tendrils emanating from him, and he could only but pray that the boy knew how to control himself on time.

He was too busy keeping an eye on Cheshire and her slight change- her shoulders hunched, her feet set apart ready to spring, that low growl escaping from her feral grimace. He was still surprised himself at all the times she resembled more an animal than a human being, but that was to be expected. He could only but pray that she didn't push it too far- she was tired and hurt, she was _locked_ inside herself.

He was too busy running after both young people, who, in tow, were running after Deidara and his clay bird and Gaara's corpse.

* * *

She didn't felt like regaining consciousness, she didn't want to put that much effort into what seemed like a useless task. She focused on running and jumping and disappearing and reappearing and simply _do not stopping_.

_What_ was she?

Basically a Carbon based being. That's why Organic Chemistry is all about- proteins, aminoacids, DNA, hydrogen unions...

She could only affirm that because she was breaking the bigger picture into fidgets and fragments and little pieces to try to explain in it a simpler why- primarily because she wasn't sure she could call herself a human being in this state.

She had neither name nor face.

She was an entity made of buzzing cells, a simple vessel of energy, of _life_ that stretched inside and outside herself to feel and comprehend the exterior. And she felt the thrill of the chase and eagerness of the hunt; she was a hungry animal following her prey.

The grey mass a little bit behind her- Ally? Enemy? Who cared...? - Made _something_ and a part of the yellow- _too damn shiny!_ - Blur dissolved into the air. Some fraction of her own brain that was still aware of her as a whole gathered the information form her enhanced senses that she smelt the scent of blood.

Twisting and turning in the air, dissolving herself like smoke in the wind, jumping, running, tumbling, avoiding...

She reached for an extension of herself, the long silvery memento of who she actually was, of what she should remember- but she wasn't really _looking_ and she could not read the word carved- and purely by instinct she stopped and stood her ground and plunged it into the ground. Her own blood boiled and cried inside her, and it was all so _warm_ and _bright_ it almost blinded her.

There was an explosion behind her eyelids.

White and wild and filled with life it emerged and clung to the ground and to whatever spark of living things it could find, it ran and ate and growled until it was close- _close, so close_- and it bit and tried to devour so that the offensive yellow stopped its escape.

* * *

Kakashi successfully managed to activate his own version of the Mangekyo Sharingan- every time he used his eye he was remembered of so many things...- and aimed for their enemy's head; though with their wild chase it was more difficult to aim than what he had expected, and ultimately he removed Deidara's arm.

He stole a glance at his companions, and narrowed his eyes at the girl's expression. He observed her grab the sword at her hip and unsheathe it in a swift motion, then she stopped running and forced the blade into the ground.

White fire embraced the steel, from the hilt to the tip. Fuelled by some invisible force, it sprung, eating away the roots from a nearly-dead bindweed, climbing through its branches all the way up the wall of the cliff they were into. He saw it- and its figures and stories and images inside- reach forward in the shape of a- _too skinny_- wolf with its jaws wide open and it attached itself to the clay bird they were chasing. He saw it bite and eat and destroy the thing before the white flames diluted themselves into the air once again.

Then he saw Cheshire doubling over herself and breathe hard, sweat clinging to her brow.

Naruto caught Gaara's body before it collided with the ground, and he looked with not-quite-his eyes at the blonde man once again.

* * *

She felt it. She felt it burning inside her, making her squirm under the pain. She was afraid she was going to vomit half of her blood any time now. She supported her weight with the sword- still imbedded on the ground below her feet- and allowed the other two to keep on moving forward.

She was stuck.

She was stuck and she hurt and it was everything just so cruel in her eyes, because she wanted but she couldn't.

She felt like screaming. She growled instead.

She shook her head to get it cleared and looked forward once again, noticing how the cloud of orange and red had grown at least three times its original size, she watched attack the yellow one- but something was _off_ and it didn't burst like it should have, instead it melted in a weird way, life slipping off like some sort of thick liquid. She noticed the orange thing becoming wilder and wilder and she felt the slight feeling of dread sinking into her. Oddly enough she was torn between being attracted to that source of energy like a magnet that can't fight its nature and wanting to run away.

Naturally, she chose the middle ground and did nothing.

The lighter cloud approached the raging thing and somehow calmed it down. She observed both of them approaching her.

* * *

Kakashi ignored his own exhaustion in order to be able to use the seal tag he had received from Jiraiya to stop Naruto from transforming any further. The boy had tried to finish off their opponent with a Rasengan, only to find out that it wasn't but a clay clone- he didn't took the news well, apparently, since his chakra started to break loose and his appearance drastically started to change into a more _feral_ one.

After he returned to normal once again, they both approached the girl who had fallen behind- Naruto still crying Gaara's body on his back. Cheshire looked at them warily, her head cocking from side to side, her pupils extremely dilated.

Still he felt as if something was strange-_er _about her. He spoke to her, something about taking it easy and resting- he _knew_ that given her... condition, it was harsh for her body to spend such an enormous amount of energy. Barely an hour after surviving the Tsukuyomi, mind you.

She didn't reply back. She didn't smile and told him that she had it worse. She just stared at them, blinking slowly.

* * *

She stood her ground, not sure of what she should do. The two clouds of colour were standing in front of her, a little bit _too close_ for her liking. Hadn't they been fighting next to her?

Ah...

She didn't remember right now.

She knew she should, she knew the most certainly- Maybe? - had names, but she had forgotten them completely- if she had known them once, that is.

The brighter one got even closer and closer and she fought back the urge to sprint away. It was invading her personal space already, and a little voice- instinct perhaps- told her to bite. That was what any cornered animal would do, anyway.

So she did it. Hard enough to feel the taste of blood in her tongue.

* * *

"Ow! Cheshire, what the-?!" Naruto took his injured hand away as fast as he could.

He looked at Kakashi. Kakashi looked at the girl.

"Cheshire." He stated in the calmest voice he could. "It's us, remember? Calm down."

* * *

It was weird. She heard something, a distant whisper maybe.

She heard a word she knew and she didn't.

_Cheshire_.

What was that strange word? Cheshire, Cheshire... It was a riddle, it was a paradox, it was a name...

It was _her_ name.

She closed her eyes and breathed slowly. It _was_ her name. She opened them again.

She looked at Naruto and Kakashi in front of her- she pointedly did _not_ look at Gaara's immobile shape- and her lips parted in a tired smile.

"Sorry." She mumbled to the blonde boy. "But for a future reference, don't come close to me if you see me like that again. I tend to be, ah, not quite me. And me being me is already bad as it is, imagine what tragedies can occur when I'm not me."

* * *

Darkness. It was dark, incredibly dark. The darkest he could ever remember being.

For some brief moments he pondered if he was dead... it would appear so, anyway. Then he realised that he was _aware_ of the darkness, so he couldn't technically be dead if he was aware of something.

He felt some shifting and moving around him- or _a lot_ of shifting and moving around him. He opened his eyes and blinked repeatedly, trying to fight off the bright light.

Finally, his eyes got used to it.

There was a sea of people surrounding him, all looking at him expectantly- being in the spot light always unnerved his reserved nature- while he tried to put together the pieces of what had happened. He realised he _knew_ the people- they were _his_ people, judging by the symbols of their headbands.

He then felt a steady hand on his shoulder, and twisted his head to meet blue eyes and a warm smile.

_Naruto Uzumaki_.

Who else if not him?

He told him something about being happy that he was back once again- where had he went to, exactly?- but the redhead's attention was stolen by a force that tackled him to the ground once again.

Gaara didn't have to look, the scent of cherries and the wind brought a tentative smile to his lips. Cheshire was embracing him and running her hands through his hair and leaving a thousand butterfly kisses all over his cheeks and forehead, ever her touchy-feely self, she didn't care that she was putting quite the show for basically _all_ of the Suna population. She didn't care that she was showing quite a lot of affection to _the Kazekage_ himself.

She finally allowed him a little bit of personal space- he had to admit he sort of missed the warmth though- and looked at him in the eye.

Gaara had to ponder about the sudden change in her attitude, now she looked all serious and business-like.

"Listen, you ever _dare_ to die again, and I swear on my mother's grave that I'm going to take my own life, _only_ so that my ghost will haunt yours for the rest of the eternity. And I'll never. Stop. Nagging. You." She whispered-hissed at him.

He blinked at her and opened his mouth, but whatever he could have said was swallowed by a thousand hundred exclamations of happiness and joy. Years later, he would still find it amusing the fact that so many people were celebrating his return.

* * *

Naruto couldn't quite understand it. Well, he _did_ understand the situation, he just didn't understand her motives.

He did, actually! But...

Oh dear Lord, why was she so _strange_?

He was surprised- a _good_ surprise- when Gaara's demonstrated his gratitude and affection for him- because Gaara simply didn't shook hands with everybody, mind you.

He had hummed when he thought of Cheshire's reaction when the redhead had finally stirred to life- the way she had thrown herself at him. Then again, she _was_ quite eager to show love for her friends most of time.

But when she stated at the doors of Suna that she wasn't going to go with him and the others back to Konoha...

"_Oh, no, I think I'll just stay in here for a while. You know, I feel sort of... Well. After all that stress Gaara suffered I'd feel more at ease if I stayed with him for some time."_

He had observed the way she was holding onto his arm- she had refused of letting go of him for more than a couple of minutes. Naruto had read the worry in her eyes.

He _understood_ it; naturally, Gaara was a dear friend of him too.

But she was saying that she was going to _stay_.

She never said that. Never.

And part of him couldn't stop to think about _why_ she was choosing to _stay_ in _there_, instead of staying with him. He had offered her multiple times. She chose to leave every time.

As he walked through the desert back to Konohagakure, he couldn't stop wondering...

Why?

Why could she _want_ to stay with _him_- ehm, with them?

Was it because Gaara was the Kazekage- more important, more powerful, simply _more_?

Was it because himself was too loud at times, in contrast with the silence the redhead was surrounded by most of times?

Sakura told him to hurry up or he would fall behind. He complied, with a grin, trying to push his concerns to the back of his mind.

Still, a tiny part of him kept on bothering...

Why?

* * *

**I'm going to say, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I don't know why. Anyway, this is the point when I'm abandoning most of the original story, and from this chapter onwards I'm- finally- focusing on Chesh's past and own story arc. **

**Yay.**

**Goodnight lovely people.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello gang (can you be my gang? Please say yes. I've always wanted my own gang). I'd like to share some fun facts about this story, mainly because I can- and find them interesting.**

**Number one: I had the ending to this little thing planned for a long time already. I know exactly the dialogs, the words I'm going to write. I'm pretty much unsure as for how I'm going to get there, but I know almost by heart now the last two chapters.**

**Number two: Remember Sanguini? I hope you are a Disney child at heart as much as I am, because I'm going to tell you where I got the inspiration for her: Zira, from the Lion King 2. Of course there are differences, but there's where I got the main inspiration for her. I don't know, she was always an interesting character for me. **

**Number three: Somebody asked me if Cheshire's appearance it's a self-insert. While I **_**am**_** indeed short and skinny and I **_**have**_** dark brown hair and green eyes, it isn't. I wanted her to look like a tree; I wanted her to be a reminder of a forest. And somehow, green hair and brown eyes just simply didn't look right. About her being of a small build, well, that's simply because she likes to disappear- ain't it easier to do that if you're rather small?**

**Number four: I'm pretty sure some distant part of my heart aches for not having chose Chesh as Gaara's romantic interest. I'm pretty sure, yep. Not as if I'm going to do anything about it, actually...**

* * *

"Good morning sunshine!"

Gaara blinked a few times and tore his eyes off the papers he had been signing. Was it morning already?

To check if her words were true, he looked above her shoulder to the window at her back. It was morning alright, meaning he had stayed up filling paperwork all night. Again.

"Really, sweetie, it wouldn't hurt you to reply my lovely greetings some time, would it?" She nagged from the doorframe, with pursed lips and a hand on her hip.

He just blinked again, slowly this time.

"Good morning." He finally settled for saying.

She grinned at him in satisfaction, and with a light walk- then again, she always carried herself in a way that she barely touched the ground below her feet- she shoved unceremoniously all the important-looking papers aside, and sat on the big wooden desk. She liked that desk. A lot, actually.

Gaara stared at the girl. She stared at him.

None of them said a thing for six minutes- she was counting the whole time. Finally she sighed, and realised that despite her efforts, he would always talk only when he had anything meaningfully important to say, or when he was directly addressed to. No small talk, no pointless chit chat, nothing.

"Honestly, love, you shouldn't be working yourself that hard." She broke the silence. "I mean, I know _I'm_ probably the worst example of taking proper care of one-self, but still... It's been three days since- well, since everything. You sure you should be staying up all night working?"

He relaxed into his chair and rubbed his face, hiding the attempt of a smile that tugged the corner of his lips. _Love, sweetie, sunshine, honey_- she always had a pet name for him ready at the tip of her tongue. Once he had asked her why she did that, nobody else had ever done it, after all.

She simply shrugged and told him that if he'd like, she'd stop it.

"_I wouldn't want to disgrace your majestic reputation, Lord Kazekage"_ She had added, with the trace of a smirk and a low bow.

He had kept silent at that. Because actually he _did_ enjoy the way she talked to him, even if it threw him _completely_ out of his comfort zone. Even if he didn't quite understand her motives, or if he had no idea how to reply to her. Even if he felt awkward and stiff whenever she stormed into his office and gave him a bear hug and cuddled him even if he was having a meeting _at the exact same moment, in the exact same room_.

He liked all that affection, somehow. Not that it made up for the most part of his life that he had known nothing but a thirst for making people suffer and whatnot. But it was still nice, he supposed.

Not that he would tell her- he wouldn't know _how_ to say it, anyway. Simply saying it could actually be a way, but still...

Just the thought was so foreign to him that it made him shudder subconsciously.

"I'm used to staying up all night. Remember I lived my whole life with the Shukaku inside of me, Cheshire-"

"Yeah, yeah, and that made you a chronic insomniac, I know it." She swatted her hand around in dismissal. "But that's my point exactly; you _haven't_ got a Demon inside you _now_. You _can_ actually sleep; you _should_ be indulging yourself with countless hours of sweet, sweet dreams."

He shrugged, his face as calm as ever.

"I don't need that much sleep, really. And I _have_ work to do."

She grumbled something under her breath in frustration.

Then she arched an eyebrow and hummed something to herself, trying to think and tie loose ends and come up with a solution- something fancy, maybe. As fancy as a top hat. Maybe.

"Ah, I got it. Since you refuse to sleep with such a fervent insistence, and it's a lovely, lovely day outside, I'm going to give you a little birthday present." She beamed at him.

"It's not my birthday" He simply stated, matter-of-factly.

"Now, I _know_ that, but amuse me, would you?"

"If you wish..."

She nodded, pleased.

"Good. Call off any appointment you may have until early afternoon then, because I'm going to kidnap you for a while."

He furrowed his brow, concerned.

"I don't think I can do that-"

"_Gaara_, you are the _Kazekage_. The youngest in... Well. Forever, maybe? I'm not sure, I'm not really a scholar of Sunagakure's history, though I've heard some pretty interesting stories about- ah, yes. I'm rambling." She coughed a little bit. "Anyway, not only you're the leader, but you've just returned from a _really_ stressful- eh, unfortunate event. I'm pretty confident that right now you could declare today as the national 'Hug-The-Kazekage-Day' and people would just go with it." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, that's actually a pretty good idea for a national holiday..."

He barely had any time to register the little speech she had just improvised before Cheshire started talking again.

"My point is, I'd love to introduce you to some friends, and treat you with some good food. As a way to say 'I'm happy your death wasn't permanent'. Besides, I've been trying to polish a little trick and this is the perfect occasion to try it out."

He hummed and thought about it. Truth be told, he knew she would convince him in a way or another, because that's what she did: Cheshire entered into your life like some sort of wrecked tornado, she threw you around as she pleased in between smiles and stories, and left you wondering how did she managed to turn everything upside down and get away with it before anyone noticed.

He gave a vague nod.

She smiled even broader.

"Great."

* * *

He hadn't expected it really- not that that surprised him at all. He was used to her doing unexpected things- some degree of acceptance was needed to befriend Cheshire, after all.

Still...

It was an unusual sensation, nothing he had ever felt before. It didn't hurt, per say, but instead filled him with some odd feeling of having lost the balance completely- it was like being yanked into seven or eight possible directions, then twirling really fast, and then feeling incredibly light...

Light enough to dilute like smoke in the air.

He was still trying to capture the weird sensation when he found himself complete once again, with Cheshire still holding his hand. He looked around and discovered that they were in an unknown town; a civil town, moreover, since he couldn't distinguish any symbol of any Hidden Village.

Cheshire tugged at his hand to get him to move.

* * *

"Would you be interested into knowing that all polar bears are left-handed?" She had opened the door of some sort of diner and shouted that sentence without even bothering to look at the place.

Gaara arched an eyebrow.

He noticed that a pale slender woman with a messy bun smiled and waved at the girl.

"Morning Grinner!" She saluted from across the room. "Is that true?"

"No, not at all Anika. But I happen to find it a _great_ conversation starter."

The older woman chuckled, and her eyes finally focused on Gaara.

"Who's that behind you with the look of a lost puppy?"

Gaara's other eyebrow joined the first one. Cheshire simply giggled.

* * *

"What sort of name _is_ Gaara of the Sand, anyway?"

Anika had retorted to sit at the table next to the pair, while they ate Cheshire's favourite dessert- or, in Gaara's case, tasted _really small_ bites of it. He was _so_ unused to the sweetness of the cherries.

"The same sort of name as Grinner." Cheshire told the woman with a smile.

She laughed.

"Fair enough. Where are you from, anyway? What's that big thing strapped at your back? Why are you so quiet, pup? I don't bite, speak up!"

A grumble of _'don't smother the poor lad, woman'_ in Anika's father's voice came from the kitchen.

Gaara looked at Cheshire. She sighed, and talked in his name.

"He's from one of those places I visit so often..."

"Those Ninja Villages?"

"Indeed- he's actually the Kazekage, if you must know-"

"Grinner, sweetheart, I haven't got the slightest idea of what that word even means." She looked at the girl, a bored expression hooding her eyes.

"That means, Anika" Cheshire coughed. "That he's the leader of his Village."

Anika blinked a couple of times. Them she stared at Gaara- stared at him _hard_. From his red hair, to his clothing, to his blank expression.

"...Wow. Ain't that a surprise? You look really young too... But that must mean you're a tough guy, huh? And smart too, I guess."

He was still debating himself if he should thank the woman or not, but Cheshire spoke up once again.

"The big thing strapped on his back is part of his- umm, it's a part of his abilities, I guess you could call it. And he's so quiet simply because he _is_, has always been, and will always be, probably. Though I'm not that great at probability, so you may just ignore that last bit." She finished with an amused half-smile.

The woman side-glanced at the door; more customers were starting to enter the place. She stood up and brushed her hands on her apron.

"Well, I guess that's the duty callin'. I'll se you next time, Grinner. It was nice to meet you, pup." She ruffled Gaara's hair, making the boy cast a helpless look at Cheshire.

She simply snickered, and kept on eating.

* * *

"Cheshire?"

Small back against her faithful bear- who was sleeping soundly on the patch of grass- she had her eyes half-lidded in remarkable relaxation, a hand raised in the air that had stopped short before arriving to its intended destiny.

"Cheshire."

The girl bit her lower lip and her brow furrowed, thinking about what were- in her terms at least- unthinkable things.

Not impossible- no. Just unthinkable.

As in 'it's so wrong to think about them' unthinkable stuff.

"Cheshire!"

Since last night these thoughts had been tormenting her. Well, she thought that it was about time, after all. She had spent too much time dwelling around and running under the sun and soaking in the rain and resting with good company. It was about bloody time for her to start worrying about things that should worry her.

She was no fool, not full of herself. She knew there was the possibility- tiny, almost no existent, vaguely visible, nearly intangible- of her not being able of covering her tracks as well as she'd like to.

She knew there was the possibility of people catching up with her. She _knew_ it, but she simply hadn't got too much time to think about it until recently, anyway.

"_Geez_, Cheshire. Are you with me or what?" Shikamaru snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"I know a bird that can fly eight days and nights without eating or resting." She blurted out.

"...What?"

"Nothing. Sorry. For spacing out, that is."

He shrugged.

Cheshire looked at the board in front of her, and moved a piece half-heartedly. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows quizzically. He then moved another piece.

"There. I won." He told her. "Easi_er_ than usual. I know I'm going to regret asking this, but, is everything okay?"

She shrugged.

"That's a fairly generic question. I'm pretty sure that at some point of the world there's some major disgrace of some level or another happening right now- a kitten drowning, a war about to break loose, siblings wrestling for the last piece of food..."

He held the bridge of his nose in between his thumb and index finger.

"Why do I keep insisting on trying to have a normal conversation with you?" He muttered.

Cheshire grinned that unnatural grin that came so natural to her.

"I can't help but wonder the same thing some times, Shika."

* * *

She was used to overhear things when she walked down any busy street. Conversations, secrets, declarations... she didn't do it on purpose, of course. It was just that she paid a lot of attention to her surroundings; it was in her nature to _know_ things, after all.

Most of this fidgets and fragments of personal lives she disregarded and stored on the back of her brain- meaningless facts, silly conversation topics, a whisper or two- ready to come out to the surface if needed.

Still, some time or another, her ears would catch something that actually irked her curiosity- not that _that_ was too hard to do, honestly.

"You _have_ to be kidding! You _must_ be kidding, please, tell me it's a joke!" The desperate tone and badly hidden mockery made her look up.

She recognised Kiba- the owner of the voice- along with Rock Lee, a very silent Shino, an annoyed looking Shikamaru, Choji- eating from a bag of chips, _of course_- and a _very_ flustered Naruto. She hummed under her breath.

"Why is such a big deal? I mean, I _was training_ this whole time! It's not as if I had time to actually do much else..." The blonde was muttering, his cheeks flushed.

Cheshire smiled still, to see the guys doing such a calm thing as simply talking among themselves was a rare sight indeed.

"Still, Naruto. I mean, you really _never kissed a girl_? Not even once?" Kiba kept on teasing.

The dark haired girl had to cough to cover up her giggling, that was what all the fuss was about? She grinned at their antics. Ah, but boys will be boys...

She swore she could see smoke coming out of Naruto's head.

"Shut up! I told you I hadn't had _time_ to do that! I was too _freaking _focused on training with one of the best ninjas in the world!"

His reply met a stone-cold look. And a sigh from Shikamaru. And a reply from Lee that _his_ sensei was one of the best ninjas in the world, naturally.

Naturally.

"I'll get to it! ...Eventually..." He looked even more embarrassed.

Weighing the possibilities in her head, she counted all the possible outcomes and traced a carefully designed plan.

...Of course, she threw all of that thoughts away and simply walked towards them with the intention of improvise something else.

"Hello there, nice night for a day, don't you think? What are you lot up to?" She put on her nicest smile.

Kiba looked at her. Over the years, even if they hadn't reached the point of being that close friends, they had managed to reach a certain understanding; they could perfectly stand each other for hours and hours without getting into a fight. They could talk about wildlife in general, and she would tell him about a rare animal or two that she had found along the way to some distant place.

"Hey Chesh." Said boy greeted. "Did you know Knuckle-head here never kissed a girl?"

She looked at Naruto, who seemed to be willing to trade anything for her ability to disappear on spot.

"Really?" She asked.

He simply avoided her eyes and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's not such a big deal..." He muttered, trying to convince himself more than the others.

It wasn't such a big deal, really. She knew Kiba simply enjoyed teasing him, that was who he was, after all. The information had still surprised her, in some way, because...

Well. Because Naruto was Naruto, right?

_Right._

He was kind and strong and _very_ loyal and always made her smile- even if he was simply _too loud_ and just _a little bit_ dumb some times.

He was a good guy, right?

_Right_.

He wasn't bad looking in any way, too.

She mentally shrugged; in her own little world- made of a thousand hundred little worlds- it would make more sense if more than one girl pursued him. She reminded herself that her own little world- made of a thousand hundred little worlds- was _not_ the real world. And she sighed, but smiled anyway.

"It's not such a big deal, but just in case..." She grinned at him, and stepped forward, standing in the tip of her toes. Then she tangled her hands in the back of his hair, bringing his head down to hers.

And like that, she kissed him.

It was simple, quite chaste too; perhaps a peck that lasted four seconds longer than usual. She then let go of him, ignoring the looks the others were giving her, ignoring Naruto's own look of disbelief and even redder face.

She grinned still.

"There. Now you've kissed a girl. See? Fairly simple, actually."

He was still looking at her, his mind trying to process what had just happened. With wide eyes he touched his lips, and fought- and lost- to make some intelligible word come out from his throat.

"...Man, really, why can't girl just randomly pass by and kiss _me_?" Kiba muttered.

Cheshire looked at him, and she simply shrugged.

"Not the right time and place, I guess." She stole a glance at Naruto again, he still hadn't moved. "Well, I'd love to stay, trust me, I'd _love_ to, but I'm late as it is for a tea party. So I'll see you all later."

She reached forward and patted the blonde boy's shoulder.

"And you tell me when you can actually talk again, okay?"

Said that, she turned on her heel and walked away, mainly because she could.

"...Did Cheshire just kiss me?"

* * *

**OOOMAIGOSH. Did I just do that? Yes, yes I did. Mainly because I find it something that Chesh would do without much thought no problem. I promise I'll continue with this... happening... on the next chapter.**

**BTW, I'm serious about the national 'Hug-The-Kazekage-Day' being an amazing idea. I mean, duh. Who wouldn't love that?**


	29. Chapter 29

**Dear guests who leave all your lovely lovely reviews: **_**please**_** get an account. Please. It's no more than what, three minutes? And as many of you already know, I love to thank you personally- well, not literally, but you get the drill- for your kind words or critics or whatever. And I really like to talk. So, I'd love to talk with each and every one of you. But I can't. Why? Because you have no account. Shame on you!**

**On a side note, today I did quite a couple of drawings about Chesh, and I'm uploading them tomorrow to my DeviantArt account ( mrswolffe ) in case somebody's interested. Someone asked me when I was going to do some more sketches. Though I don't remember who right now.**

**Oh, and I'd love to share with you some songs which pretty much define Cheshire. Problem: they are in Spanish. **

* * *

Naruto lay still, very still.

_Really_ still.

Perhaps in some vain hope that if he didn't move, he might as well pass as an inanimate object, maybe. He didn't even know if that was possible, but it was the first reaction that came off him.

After all, he didn't have a traced plan for when he could be ambushed in his sleep, at his own house. He had arrived late, after a harsh day of training and having gone to the hospital to check on Kakashi sensei- the man still looked terrible, mind you- and after taking off his shirt, he had simply collapsed on the bed, falling into deep sleep.

Maybe it would be a good idea for him to learn how to sleep, umm, lighter. So he wouldn't wake up to be in such a predicament.

Because now he was still, very still; _really still_, on his bed, almost avoiding breathing. And there was a soft pressure resting at his chest; a soft pressure that moved every once in a while and smelled suspiciously of cherries.

"You have been ignoring me. That's definitely _not_ nice." Cheshire slurred, her voice vaguely projecting her sleep.

Naruto tried not to gulp.

"Oh, _please_, I know you're awake. You're a terrible liar."

He said nothing still, perhaps if he was quiet, _really_ quiet; she would believe he was really sleeping.

"Besides, you're too stiff." She cuddled against him. "Relax, would you? I don't bite... usually. I mean, even _Gaara_ is able to rest naturally when I sleep next to him-"

"You _cuddle_ with _Gaara_?" His eyes opened suddenly and he blurted whatever first came to his mind.

Cheshire moved her head to look at him.

Well damn.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I like to cuddle. In my perfect world, nobody would talk before nine in the morning, everybody would just simply hug and cuddle, because, you know, some times it's _really_ hard to wake up and start your day- ah, I'm rambling. Sorry."

She coughed and moved a little further from him.

He still was trying to picture a scene in which _Gaara_ was cuddling with someone. He found it really hard to believe. Then again, it _was_ Cheshire, so maybe if she asked the sun to come out a little later one day; it would comply, maybe just because.

Wait. Had she just say that _he_ was more socially awkward than Gaara? Okay, that was _not_ a good thing to say. It wasn't true! So maybe he wasn't used to her appearing in the middle of the night simply to sleep- though by now maybe he should have grown accustomed to her warm touchy-feely self- but that doesn't made him like Gaara. Nope. Not at all.

...Unless she had been hinting that by the sheer force of custom she had bestowed upon the redhead the habit of sleeping- or resting, or whatever since he had been insomniac the better part of his life- next to her. Hugging her.

Which would mean they did that. _A lot_. And that possibility made nothing but leave a sour taste in Naruto's mouth, because well, he had always thought himself as one of her closest friends. At least, it had always looked like that.

Now it would appear that _Gaara_ was closer to her than what he was. Not that he was angry at him or anything but... Ah. He didn't know what it was. He simply didn't like it. He had always thought of Cheshire as _his_ weird friend.

"Still, you've been ignoring me. As I stated before, that's not a nice thing to do. I want to know why."

...Of course, the term _'weird friend'_ had only been applicable until recently, when he had, almost by accident, discovered that Cheshire, besides being weird and funny and mysterious, was a _female_ human being.

Not that he didn't actually know that beforehand, he recognised the fact that Cheshire was, indeed, a girl, since a long time ago. The problem was that it was a vague idea; he had never actually thought about it, he had never taken it into account.

Cheshire. A girl. Huh.

Nope, no matter how many times he thought about it, it was still really weird. Because females had hips, and a waist, and breasts.

And Cheshire... she was just Cheshire! She couldn't have those...

...Could she?

No, no, no, _bad_ train of thoughts. And now everything was going to be so awkward.

Cheshire sighed at his silence, and got up from his bed. She started pacing around his room with her arms crossed.

"I'm waiting, so just, you know, any time you want." She informed him.

He grunted and sat up, one hand rubbing the nape of his neck.

He opened his mouth to talk. Then closed it again. Then opened it again. And closed it.

Cheshire slapped herself on the forehead, mumbling something under her breath.

"Okay, this might be just some wild thought, but I require for you to tell me" She moved her hands around as if trying to gather the words. "Is this because I kissed you?"

He whispered something intelligible and looked at the floor- _no_, he could not manage to hold her piercing stare right now, than you so much.

And then she heard her laugh.

He wished forever he hadn't.

Naruto had heard her giggle; he had heard her chuckle, maybe even a short merry laugh.

But she had never laughed out loud in front of him before.

He wished forever she hadn't.

Because if some time he had doubted Cheshire's humanity and simply entire existence, now he doubted again.

Her laugh was loud. Cold. It had a certain faery rang into her voice, making her look like a terrible and beautiful creature. It sent a shiver down his spine. It was like a curse.

"Oh, for the love of-" She laughed again. When she calmed herself, she sat down on the edge of his bed and extended a hand to ruffle his head. "You're over thinking. Don't. Sometimes, a kiss it's just a kiss and nothing more, you know? A kiss doesn't mean love."

He tried to smile at her, but only managed to grimace.

"So... you go around kissing people?" He asked after a while.

She shrugged.

"I like kissing. It feels nice. It's fairly simple, actually" Then she frowned. "Hey, I'm terribly sorry if I caused you some sort of mortification whatsoever, it certainly wasn't my intention... I guess I should learn to behave more- ah, correctly with all of you. I forget you're not used to the same things as I am."

He shrugged, feeling a little better.

There. It hadn't been anything. Just a kiss, nothing more, with no actual meaning behind.

No reason at all for him to start sweating and getting scared because he had not even the slightest idea of what was happening.

Well, it was still the fact of the recent discovery of his friend's gender, but he would simply push that to the back of his mind, and everything would return to normal.

Right...

"Besides, I was honestly curious as for what would you taste like anyway..."

He blinked at that.

"Oh? And what do I taste like?" His brow furrowed, trying to understand.

"Like cackling fire in a dark cold night. And ramen."

That managed to draw a smile onto him. Well, he liked ramen after all.

"So... you kissed many people before?" He didn't know where that question had come from, honestly.

She shrugged.

"Some. I told you, I like kissing. Holding hands. Cuddling. That's nice- the real problem is when they want something _more_, ah, commitment. I can't offer that..." She looked through the window and he could swear her eyes were incredibly sad. "Not when I'm running all the time... I can't be caged, you know? Not even in the softest cage. I'm pretty sure I won't even fall in love... not for a _long_ time, at least. Not as if anyone would ever want something serious with me anyway."

"Why?"

"Look at me, Naruto." She gestured her face. "I think it's safe to say that my mental health is questionable. I'm full of secrets and hide a lot of stuff. I'm the stranger wherever I go. Plus, I've got half my face scarred." She sighed, tiredly. "I wasn't made for love. For intrigue, admiration maybe, curiosity even. I'm a new candy with a different taste to try and then cast away."

"Hey, since when you were such a downer?" He asked, concerned.

"I- I'm not. It's just... Ah, it's a bad topic, okay? Can we please talk about something else?" She ran a hand through her dark hair.

"Sure, so..."

"So..."

Great. It was awkward again.

"So, if it really means nothing, I could just kiss you anytime I want-" He clasped a hand over his mouth, his cheeks flushed.

He _really_ hadn't meant to say that.

She quirked an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Sure. Hypothetically speaking, of course, because I think that if I started to just kiss you out of the blue you would, uh, combust into sudden flames or something. Probably."

"Probably."

She looked at him and smiled.

Besides...

He was too nice for her anyway. She wouldn't want to mess him up. She wouldn't want to give him the ghost of a promise which she would never keep.

* * *

"Well you look pretty _bwah_ today."

Kakashi opened his eyes lazily.

"Good morning to you too. Is that even a word?" He mumbled.

"No, not at all, of course. Why, sometimes even someone as well-versed into the universe of words finds herself at a dead end, hence the use of the _bwah_."

"It doesn't sound like a good thing..."

"It isn't. You look quite awful, if you don't mind me saying."

He sighed and sat up on his hospital bed to take a better look at the girl sitting on the chair next to him.

"How long have you been there, Cheshire?"

She shrugged.

"Two hours. And a half. Maybe a little bit more."

He smiled behind his mask.

"You should do something more useful with your time instead of keeping an eye on the sick."

She shrugged.

"I've been busy; reading. See?" She showed him a book. One of _his_ books. "I see why you like these things, Jiraiya writes with a subtlety uncanny for being, well, him. The plot itself isn't _that_ great, it's the way it's told." She put the book on his nightstand.

"...You actually read that in two and a half hours?" He asked.

She shrugged.

"I used to read _a lot_ back in the place where I come from" He noticed that she avoided saying _home_. "There's the biggest library in the world, and when I was bored or couldn't sleep I would spend my time reading. Plus, I _had_ to, that's the only way of learning certain stuff I _must_ know..."

He vaguely nodded; it was only in a rare occasion when she would talk about what had been her home. She still had told him mostly everything about it, but still... She apparently didn't like to share those little common memories too often.

He took it as a bad omen of sorts.

"What's bothering you?" He simply asked.

She slumped her shoulders.

"Straight to the point, as usual, right?" She sighed. "Well... I don't know, I've been having this bad feeling. Call it a premonition of sorts, maybe. I'm afraid to be found even in here..."

His eyebrows shot up.

"Is that possible?"

"So many things are possible..."

* * *

It hadn't been her fault, really.

For once, she hadn't wanted to leave. Not right now, at least. She had even left her sword hanging from a tree, her little pair of silver bells braided into the katana's hilt.

She had decided to simply take a walk outside the Leaf Village for a while, to set her mind free and think about stuff now that Sakura and Naruto were gone off to somewhere with that Kakashi-substitute and the guy who grinned as much as herself.

She really hadn't counted on a too-familiar face appearing in front of her. She hadn't counted on his haughty smile and his ropes with seals to impede the flow of _her_ chakra, avoiding her from disappearing.

Silly Cheshire, careless Cheshire, you've always been quite the foolish child...

She really hadn't counted on the mockery bow offered at her.

"Ah, but it looks like I've found my little hunting trophy again! Ready to set off, your highness?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"Such a language! Ain't you happy to see me? I was always so nice to you..."

"A golden cage is still a cage."

He had shrugged.

"Trophies are supposed to be kept on pedestals and behind glass, so everyone can see them."

She refused to cry. She wouldn't break again.

Instead, she simply followed in stiff motions the tug from her chains and shut her mouth closed.

* * *

**So finally we're getting somewhere with Chesh's past. **

_**BWAH**_** has been brought to you by Charles Snippy.**


	30. Chapter 30

**I am a happy girl. I'm having a blueberry sandwich and red fruits tea. And later I have another photoshoot with my ginger friend. Check out her flickr, she's really talented- just go to and search for Zanahoria Pecosa. **

**So, if Vet School doesn't work out for me, I **_**might**_** be able to pass as a fashion model for a while. Whatever, you really don't care :D**

* * *

Birds see things.

High, up above in their domains, they have the pleasure and privilege to be able to look at all the creatures below them. Of course, it's always up to the bird to determine if the situation it's interesting or not.

Most times it isn't, this bird decides. It- _he_- has seen many things along his long life. Kings and Queens being hanged by revolutionaries. Whole families being slaughtered by the intricate webs of politics. Young girls making eyes at their first love.

Birds see things.

This bird does.

He spreads his golden wings and rises himself up in the air, cocking his head lazily to the side, just to see if there's anything that catches his eye- or if anyone has seen him, anyway. This bird is not only a seer, but a thief.

Birds steal things sometimes.

Such as the heart of young girls- barely more than infants, really- when they hear his cry. When they see his golden glisten. When they decide in a whim to follow him.

It's not _his_ fault. He didn't mean it to happen. It was in his nature to enthral humans just by sight, how was he supposed to know that she would vanish to the other side _just_ to follow him? How was he supposed to know that he guided the child directly to her doom?

It _was not_ his fault.

Birds see things.

This golden eagle looked below; he was at the Edge of the World now. He knew this place. He knew this nation. He knew the forest that lived within the heart of these people, the wild rivers, the lakes, the stone buildings ornamented with white gold. He knew the black and white banner of the tree in flames.

He knew the figure walking with his easy steps and relaxed posture as he neared the biggest building- though not the most important one.

Birds see things.

* * *

He was tired. Good God, he was getting old.

It was a recurring thing of his family; they lived quite the long life, but they all started to show signs of aging quite early. He wasn't even forty- though nearing the number, mind you- and he already had a set of wrinkles around his eyes and on his brow.

He blamed it on the stress. On the stress, and on the fact that his life made him frown and scowl quite a lot of time. Damned life.

He stood up from his huge chair slash throne and walked out of the huge room. Perhaps he had liked that room once, but that had been many years ago.

When the slightly smaller chair next to his had been filled with the heat of another human body.

When the enormous room had been filled with the light steps of a young soul, eager to discover the world.

When they would all bring out the long tables and celebrate with a massive feast.

Nowadays though...

The room was mostly empty, with the exception of some _unnecessary_ formal meeting. Really, he had no idea why they couldn't be held on his study. Or outside. He liked being outside.

He entered his study. It was all decorated in deep greens and white gold- as the whole city, of course- and sat down at his sturdy desk. He noticed the thick leather-bound folder, filled with wondrous amounts of paper work. He rubbed his wise eyes and muttered something incomprehensible under his breath.

"Your Honourable Grace?"

At the name he instantly squared his shoulders and looked at the door, an elegant eyebrow arched in calm questioning. The short man made an exaggerated bow in salutation.

"Master Yori." He tilted his head to the side, never faltering in looking like he owned the place. He did own it, actually. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing's wrong sir. The Commander of the Wardens of the Silent Order requires a word with you, if you're not too busy."

"Let the Warden-Commander in then, Yori."

Right. Formality above all, as usual.

The man motioned at someone outside the room to come in. A man waltzed in with easy steps and a relaxed posture. He was wearing the usual Warden attire; the dark gray harem pants filled with strips of the same fabric- they always managed to give them an air of smoke-like creatures- the absence of anything to cover his bare chest and feet, with the exception of some bandages on his midriff and his feet. His hands encased on the black leather gloves, and the white wolf mask covering his face.

The only thing that differenced as the Commander was the little black flame on the forehead of his mask, the rest of the Wardens showed the same attire- the women, of course, used the bandages to cover their chests instead.

He put his right across his chest, right over his heart, and bowed.

The traditional greeting from the Wardens.

Then he straightened up once again, and put his hands at his sides, waiting for the permission to speak.

"That's that." The short man announced, fixing his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "If you don't need anything else, sir-"

"Actually, Yori, I do have a favour to ask you, my dearest and wisest friend." He hastily grabbed the folder and threw it into his hands. "Take care of this."

"Sir, I think it's quite unorthodox-"

The man crossed his arms and towered over the shorter one, his face carefully blank.

"Are you _neglecting_ direct orders from your Koe, the man who leads you?"

"No sir, never!" He hurried away, his arms filled with stacks of papers.

The man turned around and finally addressed the Commander.

"At ease, my boy." He said. "And off with the mask."

He simply nodded, and slid it off, revealing quite a young face with an easy smile and deep blue eyes.

"Ah, much better. It still intrigues me how did you manage to achieve your position at only eighteen years old. You're the youngest Commander in what? A century?"

"A century and a half, sir." He shrugged. "And what can I say? I am amazing like that."

The older man chuckled.

"Of course you are, Nori." He sat down once again at his desk.

"I never quite understood..." Nori mused.

"What is it?"

"The exact difference between a Kage and a Koe".

The man smiled in remembrance of a little girl who once asked him the same.

"The title of Koe is hereditary. Even if the population has to approve the decision, the next Koe it's more likely to be the heir of the last one. And we're outside the influence of the Great Five Hidden Villages, of course. Those are the main differences, asides from a lot of technical boring aspects, of course.

"...and the fact that you get to wear a crown, instead of those silly hats, sir." He gestured towards the white gold leaves circlet a top of his head.

"Indeed." He smiled. "Besides, we don't identify ourselves as shinobi, even if we're no stranger to the ninja arts, you know that."

"Sure, we're more like a peace-loving, secret-keeper, wild, colourful bunch. Except when we're provoked, _then_ we're fighters once again and create an epic amount of bloodshed."

The Koe leaned back into his chair and a half-smirk tugged at his lips.

"Nice to know the respectful vision you have of your own roots, Nori. You make all us sound certainly... ahem, _interesting, _per say. But if my years as leader had taught me something, it's that you're not here to discuss technicalities. Speak up, please."

The young man's face grew serious, and he grimaced.

"Sir, there's been rumours around, and I thought you might want to hear them. People are whispering about the possibility of Rega- I mean, her Enlighted Wisdom, not coming back. As in, you know, never. They fear she will neglect her duties and abandon us if she keeps wandering who knows where..."

"Are they questioning my leadership now?" He intertwined his fingers a top of the desk.

"No, they do not doubt _your_ decision of allowing her to roam free…"

"Oh, so then they put a question mark on my daughter's sense of judgment." He sighed. "You know very well that what happened a long time ago wasn't her fault. If anyone's it was mine for letting my own blood escape my sight for such a long time and walk straight into danger…"

"No, sir. If anyone's it was _my_ fault." He hit his chest with a gloved hand.

"Ah, Nori. You know she loves you, but she loves more escaping your dutiful watch… Her mother used to be the same, you know? She never quite told me how she performed her little disappearing trick. _"It's a secret_", she'd always tell me…"

"Wanderer secret, sir?"

"I suppose so. She was one of them, or trained by one. As for how my own daughter discovered the jutsu by herself- ah, that escapes my mind."

He simply nodded.

"At any rate, I've trained her well. She's not some foolish air-headed lass, I know she'll come back- in due time, that's it. It's not as she had disappeared forever, you know she comes every now and then…"

"Yes, sir. I simply wanted to put you on alert of the whispers of the city."

The leader nodded, and studied the boy in front of him. Nori had always been fascinated as for how Rega had inherited the same exact eye colour. She had the same way of looking straight through you too, as if she could read the depths of your soul.

"No. You're lying, Nori, there's something else that bothers you."

The Commander shifted his weight and averted his gaze.

"May I speak freely my opinion on the subject, sir?"

The man rested his chin on his palm, curious.

"As my Warden-Commander or as my surrogate son of sorts?" He asked.

Nori blinked.

"The surrogate son part, I guess... sir"

"Then call me by my name, if you would."

"Sure... _Hinansho_." He shook his head, the name sounded entirely foreign to his lips. "Truth is... I'm worried about her. Extremely worried. Even you have to admit there's about a million ways in which she could die; most of them in an extremely painful way. You know she's not quite well..."

"Then we'd find a way to keep somehow the peace in here-"

"No. I'm not worried about the future Koe. I'm worried about Rega. Your daughter. The three year old girl who stuck her tongue to me when she first saw me. I'm worried about _her_¸ Hinansho."

The man smiled warmly.

"I suppose your worries would be eased if I gave you the direct order of keeping her safe, right?"

"With all due respect, as Warden-Commander it _is_ my duty to look after your family-"

"And what makes you think _she'll_ allow you to breathe down her neck like some authority figure? I'll say it again, Nori: she loves you, but she loves more escaping from your grasp."

He felt silent.

"I understand."

"If only to put your fears to rest, let me tell you this; what kind of father do you think I'd be if I allowed my own daughter to gallivant in uncertainties with potential hunters at her tail- _after what happened last time_?"

"You mean... you _know_ where she is?"

"Not precisely. But I've got eyes and ears away; I'd know if she was in danger."

Nori ran a hand through his sandy hair.

"And if she was, would you order me to go help her?" He asked, almost begged.

"Boy, I'd do it myself. The fact that I'm _stuck_ here for the time being doesn't mean I can't help my own kin, even from far away." He raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Or is it _you_ who's challenging my authority and abilities now?"

"Never, Hin-_ sir_." He made another bow, and slipped his mask on once again. "I'll get going now."

The older man nodded, and waved his hand in dismissal. Nori exited the room in silence.

Hinansho stood up and sighed, with a bitter smile on his lips. Certainly he couldn't have asked for a better Commander than him, nor a better friend for his daughter. He opened the window, and a white dove entered fluttering it's snowy wings, until it rested upon the back of his chair. He turned his back on it and contemplated the big painting on one side of the room. The woman on it smiled at him a curious smile, the sort of smile owned by someone who's got a secret. She had impossibly white hair and light grey eyes with a gleam on them- "wolfish eyes", he had told her once.

"I wish you were still here, love. Your daughter has certainly inherited your spirit." He muttered, slowly tracing his fingers along the smooth surface of the painting.

He turned around when he heard a faint sound, and his eyes widened upon seeing the dove open and close it beak helplessly, as if it was suffocating. In a matter of fifteen seconds, the animal collapsed to the floor, all life drained from it. Hinansho felt his heart race for an unknown reason; an omen, a premonition, perhaps the guess of a bad feeling, the electrical tingling of upcoming doom in the air.

It had been his own fault for allowing Nori to plant those ill options- luck was a whimsical lady who should not be tempted under any circumstance. He took a silk cloth from his pocket and carefully put the bird's corpse inside, intending to take it outside later.

Then he closed his eyes and made the handsigns- it had been a while since he had performed this jutsu. He observed the flames erupt and shape at his command, the creature in front of him filled with the whisper of life and a will of its own.

"Find my daughter, whatever time it needs. Keep her safe."

* * *

"What's wrong, doll, you used to be so feisty... have you lost your touch?"

"No." She refused to look at him.

"Then are you finally at peace accepting your fate?"

"No." She refused!

He simply chuckled.

"Here, here. I was never bad to you, was I? I never hurt you in any way-"

"Yes, because branding a person with hot iron isn't hurting _at all_." She muttered.

He rolled his eyes, and finished tying her to a tree. Him and his servants needed to be sure she was not going anyway- not as if she could, with the ropes that drained her chakra- while they settled their camp to eat.

"Ah, but even the most prized stallions need to be branded in a way or another. You know it wasn't _me_ the one who poked and cut-"

"I'm not an animal! I'm not some dumb trophy to exhibit!" She suddenly screamed, finally looking at his amber eyes. He reminded her of some bird of prey.

"That's when you and I disagree." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You are one of a kind. A rare creature indeed. Dangerous too, I'm just doing both you and the world a favour, you know..."

She looked down once again, and replied nothing.

"Fair enough, keep your silence, girl." He turned around and walked away.

Night came soon enough, and silence with it. But she did not sleep, no, Cheshire was used to sleepless nights. And even if she did, she was sure her dreams would be plagued with nightmares.

She wasn't sad. Not particularly. Not even angry.

Just... disappointed. At herself, mostly. At the world too.

She ignored the soft steps that sounded near her, treading some hidden trail. She ignored them until they lingered at some point in front of her, like the person was surprised to find the girl tied there. She finally looked up when she felt a hand under her chin.

Red. All black and red. And merciless.

"Hello there." She simply said. "Fancy meeting you here, innit? And you said I shouldn't count on us meeting with less sharp objects at hand..."

Itachi raised a curious eyebrow and let her go.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

"I'm mostly curious. How did you end up like this?"

She let out a bitter chuckle.

"To cut years of unnecessary story and quite a bit of angst, I'm only telling you that it's because of my stupidity."

"I don't find that too hard to believe." He admitted.

"Ah, see? We agree again."

* * *

**I would have made this longer- and I plan to upload the next chapter between tonight and tomorrow- but I really have to run off to the photoshoot right now, and I didn't feel like making you wait longer guys. **

**And I'm aware that I haven't uploaded the drawings yet- I'll do it tomorrow, probably, since only yesterday my brother gave me back my camera. Nori's pants will be uploaded there, since I had not the slightest idea as for how to describe them better. **


	31. Chapter 31

**Okay, a few things about the last chapter:**

**Koe means "voice". If Kage would be translated as "shadow", I thought that instead of shadows, Cheshire's home could be guided by a voice.**

**Hinansho: "Haven". Not a name, really, but then again, their family never quite uses names for their offspring, but words to describe what they should be. You know, in real life there's a whole theory about how our names shape us. Yes, that's why I make all that big fuss about revealing Chesh's name.**

**And yeah, I know it might seem a little bit cliché to make her an heir of something important- that might be another reason for me to delay these chapters so much. I **_**really**_** wanted you to get to know her by her personality before you got to judge her by her sort-of-mainstream past. So yeah, there's that. **

**BTW, I **_**finally**_** uploaded the drawings.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"I suppose that now you'll ask me to free you."

She raised her eyebrows.

"What a preposterous idea. Where did you get that assumption?"

"You do _not_ wish to get away?"

"I did not say so. I do _not_ appreciate people meddling in between my personal affairs; really, I'd rather not drag you or anyone else into this mess. It'd only embiggen the possibility of major disaster. For you to _free_ me? Ridiculous, nonsensical, absurd, farcical!"

He crossed his arms.

"Even if I _wanted_ your help, you wouldn't comply." She twisted her lips into a sardonic half-smirk. "Not that I'm actually blaming you for it- oh no, not at all. You have no reason whatsoever to help me in any way." She shrugged. "Anyhow, if I'm not able to get out of this by myself- When it was but _my_ fault on the first place- then I might as well deserve this catastrophe."

"That's... oddly logical, in a morbid way."

"Thanks. A bear taught me so."

"And we're back to nonsense..."

She looked lost for a moment.

"Did we ever leave it...?" Her words hanged in the air.

He ignored the little pang of bitterness he tasted at the back of his throat at her words. He knew she was something else- she _had_ to be. No normal girl would say the things she said. No normal girl would look at him impassive and speak almost casually, as if they where both long-time neighbours.

No normal girl.

"You do not wish anything from me, and I have no reason to stay in here any longer." He informed. "Fair enough, I'll take my leave now."

He turned around and started to walk away.

"You _could_ do that!" She called after him before he advanced three full steps. "_Or_... You could stay a little longer..."

"Why?" Cold. Demanding.

"Because I have probably around five hours and thirty-two minutes until my living Hell starts again." She bit her lip. "And then I might as well be named Lady Loneliness and never speak a word again."

"You wish my company?" He asked, dumbfounded. Apparently she was nothing but a scared child after all. "Do you know who I am?"

"Itachi Uchiha. Murdered your whole clan for reasons I don't know nor I particularly care about. Your brother has got quite the anger management issues, mind you."

He narrowed his eyes at the mention of his sibling.

"And still you wish for me to stay?"

She shrugged.

"You make good conversation. Better than the trees anyway- they can be terribly boring at times."

"Why _should_ I stay?"

"You are curious about me. About the girl tied to a tree that doesn't want help but is afraid of the dark. About the insane child who speaks nonsense and grins too much." She looked at him straight in the eye. "About this lass with wolfish eyes and a beast that haunts them from the very inside."

And the wolf walked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...

"I _can_ kill you."

"You _won't_. That'd be an act of incredibly kind mercy- It'd be putting a rabid dog out of its misery. You won't do so. You do not _care_ about doing so."

He meditated about it a minute or so.

"You _will_ tell me about you?"

"A tale in trade of company. Quite the bargain, if you ask me."

"A tale about what, exactly?"

"About a golden eagle and a caged starving wolf. About chains and names long lost. About a secret or two- but not about power. I don't trust you to tell you anything about power."

"In exchange of just company, you say?"

"Indeed. Company for another hour, and the possibility of reminding myself who I might not quite be."

* * *

"Will you _please_ quit trying to make a stupid competition out of _everything_, Lee?!" Tenten screamed after the running guy.

"But Gai-sensei says that-!"

"I don't _care_, there's no point on trying to return faster when we're tired! It wasn't a life or death mission either, so _slow down_!"

Behind them Neji simply scoffed at their teammates antics.

Lee finally stopped to wait for the others at a low branch, and looked at them with that _shiny_ smile of his.

_Right_.

Tenten regained her breathe and stretched.

"I swear, Lee; sometimes you simply make me want to- huh?" She looked past him at something that gleamed in an even low_er_ branch. "What's that?"

Before any of them could actually go look, Neji was already in place, with crossed arms and a thoughtful look. The other two descended and stood next to him.

"Isn't that... Cheshire's sword?" Lee asked.

Tenten nodded, she wouldn't forget such a beautiful sword.

"It is." She told him. "It still has the tiny bells attached to the hilt... And look!" She grabbed some dark fabric half-hidden between some leaves. "This is her cloak!"

"Maybe we should leave the things here."Lee offered. "She's always been a little bit strange; perhaps she left these on purpose."

"No." They looked at Neji and his commanding tone. "As... _odd_ as she is, have you ever seen her part with her sword _willingly_? Something doesn't seem right in here..."

"So what do we do then?" Tenten asked.

"I suppose she _is_ somewhat recognised as a shinobi from our village. We should go inform Tsunade, just in case."

The other two nodded and grabbed the things, now with an excuse to return faster to Konohagakure.

* * *

"Well this is nice, innit? I certainly wasn't expecting to find _you_ in here!" She smiled, once again tied to a tree in the middle of the night.

"What are you doing here, _Cheshire_?" He spoke the name with venom.

She flinched at his tone.

"I know we were never in the best terms, so to speak, but after two and a half years I expected at least a _'good Lord, lass! How've you been?'_"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Did I _ever_ spoke like that?" He asked her, cold dripping his voice.

"No." She smiled. Then she bit her lip and asked curiously. "Do you hate me?"

"I have no bond whatsoever to do with you." He scowled.

"You're wrong. If you felt nothing towards me, you wouldn't be looking at me like that. You have at least some sort of aversion towards me." She awkwardly shrugged as she could with her body bound in ropes.

Sasuke grunted and his hand twitched dangerously close towards his own sword.

"You did something to me." He told her.

She grinned.

"Did I?"

"Don't play dumb, _Cheshire_. I saw something! Yellow eyes haunt me since then whenever I close my eyes. What did you do to me?"

She sighed.

"_I_ did nothing. You demanded your answers- you _demand_ quite a lot, you know?- and you simply saw them. Sometimes it's best to not know the complete truth, it can haunt you, as you say..."

"_What_ are you?"

"Human. Shattered and wrecked and twisted, but a human. It haunts me too... It's starving. And lonely. And trapped. It shouldn't be..."

He narrowed his eyes.

"You admit having something _else_ inside you, then?"

She hummed amused.

"Nothing but myself, actually. Human mind can do a lot of marvellous things when it's heavy with stress. It opens the entrance of insanity, it bends upon itself uncountable times."

He suddenly stiffed.

"You gave me blood. _That_ must have done something to me."

She cocked her head to the side.

"Did you ask the one who trains you about it?"

He said nothing, proving he had kept it as a secret.

"Don't you notice you recover faster ever since?"

His demeanour changed ever-so-slightly.

"That has nothing to do with it... that's just the training I've been doing-"

"Your eyes are more sensible to the light. You are more aware of your own body, how it works..."

He shuffled.

"Sometimes I hear whispers." He admitted.

She inspected the ground, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"What do they say?" She asked him.

"They tell me to stop."

"They tend to disapprove quite a lot of things." She mused.

"Sometimes I hear you too." He told her.

"Oh?"

He stomped one foot on the floor, visibly annoyed.

"Not your _voice_ exactly... It's more like your energy. The changes in your mood..."

She smiled.

"That tends to happen too." She chuckled.

"Why?" He demanded- yet again.

"It seemed like the right thing at the right time." She shrugged.

"You still didn't tell me _whose_ blood was it." He seemed even more irritated.

"But I _did_ tell you. It's from a friend."

He scoffed. And turned around. And sneered at her from above his shoulder.

"I don't know how did you ended up like this, but don't expect help _from me_."

And he walked away.

* * *

They arrived.

He smiled.

She scoffed.

He led her to a room. She expected darkness and humidity and chains.

She found a lot of light and fresh air and velvet cushions. But still chains.

He pointed at the middle of the room. There was an artificial sort of lake, with an artificial sort of island. He guided her to the island and she looked up; lots and lots of silken straps descended from the ceiling. They attached themselves to her wrists and neck and waist and legs- she felt them slowly sucking off her energy, cutting her internal web of chakra.

They didn't hurt though. They didn't tie her to the ground. She could walk within the small island's surface.

He exited the room, and soon after a maid entered with a few dresses. They were beautiful, all in white and black and silver. They had fur and feathers and leather- a sign that she was nothing more than the likes of a beast. She let the woman dress her.

She was left alone with her thoughts.

A golden cage it's still a cage.

The first day she mourned. She snarled and tugged and denied. And she loathed him, called him things. He didn't lay a single hand on her- he had committed the mistake of allowing a few researchers cut and poke and look for answers before. They had only found doom. So he simply put her on display.

She knew she was nothing but an animal put to the public eye to see. She was a one-girl zoo.

The first week she had calmed herself- sort of. She didn't snarl any longer, no. She simply walked- back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

_Back and forth like a starving wolf._

She craved, she needed, she ignored herself.

He patted her on the head for her good behaviour. He asked her a few things now that she was calmer- maybe, _maybe_ his little trophy would cooperate now.

She didn't. He still smiled; they had time, a lot of time. He marvelled on the fact that she looked a lot like her mother.

By the arrival of the first month she broke completely. She wasn't there anymore- not _herself_, no. She had retreated to some dark place in her mind where she could find some pace, an illusionary escape.

She didn't talk anymore. She didn't walk. Her eyes were distant, as if she didn't saw the things around her. She couldn't listen. She just sat there and did nothing all day.

Human mind is a curious thing indeed. It shelters itself in the maw of insanity; it builds tall, unbreakable walls. It makes a girl lose herself in a pitch black abyss.

She wasn't there anymore.

She had no name.

She was but a trophy, but there between silks and feathers and furs; on display.

And she accepted it.


	32. Chapter 32

**I **_**was**_** going to upload this like three or four days ago, but I have a valid excuse for not doing so... My horse fell ill. He had fever and I don't know how many things else, and I spent these past days just being there with him- yes, exactly like in those movies where the boy/girl sleeps in the stable or something- he's much better now though. I need to tell you, if **_**my**_** horse is ill, then it's **_**everybody's **_**problem- at least at my house. Seriously, everybody started freaking out, and I don't know _why_.**

**I heard what happened in Boston... If anyone of you is there, I hope you're safe. My prayers go to that city.**

* * *

Soon enough colours started fading. Everything turned to monochromatic gray after a while.

Voices followed soon after- she saw them move their lips, but she heard not a thing they where saying. Not a thing _he_ was saying. She didn't care, actually. It was nice to have some silence after all.

Except for the incessant drumming in her head- that never stopped.

* * *

"What do you mean '_gone'_?" Tsunade asked, her arms folded across her chest. Next to her, Shizune stood still, ever-loyal, carefully watching her teacher.

"We have stumbled upon some clues that lead us to believe that something bad might have occurred to Cheshire." Neji clarified Lee's previous words.

Tsunade looked at them, a disapproving eyebrow arched.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked them.

Tenten moved forward, showing her the girl's belongings.

The Hokage inspected the things, taking the chance to steal a better look at her sword. She grabbed the katana and slowly drew it from its black sheath, her eyes barely registering the decorations in white gold.

She read the word carved on the blade with a raised eyebrow.

_Mercy._

"This weights remarkably less than a usual katana..." She muttered more to herself than to the other. Finally, she nodded, and sheathed the weapon again, letting it rest on top of her desk.

"As much as I want to believe your suspicions- I'm _almost_ certain that she wouldn't leave her sword behind like this- I _can't_ start sending shinobi out in some wild goose chase." She told them, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Lee frowned slightly, and looked at the floor. He _knew_ Tsunade was thinking the best for the village, but still... To him, it felt like almost letting down a comrade- one as weird and partly-detached as Cheshire, but a comrade of sorts.

"I can't leave the matters like that though, seeing as something _could_ have happened to her. As one of our shinobi, it's my- _our_ duty- to see that she is out of immediate danger." She groaned, rubbing a hand on her temple. This is way she didn't want to be named as the Hokage on the first place... "I don't suppose you have any leads on _where_ she might be?"

Neji shook his head once, his back straight and his posture calm. "She could've vanished as she does for all that we know; if that was the case..." He trailed off.

"It would be virtually impossible to track her down." Tsunade completed, thinking hard. She looked at Shizune then. "Is Kakashi still in the hospital?" She asked her.

The black haired woman looked at her in curiosity. "No, he was dismissed yesterday and sent home. He's not in perfect conditions still though, so it's more likely that he'll sleep during most of the day for the next two weeks. Why?"

Instead of answering, the Hokage looked at the shinobi in front of her desk. They all recognised the look in her eyes, and awaited for their orders.

"Go wake him up then, inform him on the situation. He might know something we don't, and then return to me with his answers. Until then, there's nothing else we can do."

They all nodded and took off.

* * *

She allowed herself to fall deep, perhaps to never return. It was for the best, really. She let her will be carried away, her spirit to be engulfed by darkness...

Because it _was_ dark. An endless black fog that surrounded her- _her?_

No, that implicated the first clue of an identity.

_It._

_Much better._

It was still barely aware from its surroundings though, still tied to the reality by some thin thread of almost-consciousness.

He was looking at her, thoughtful, his arms crossed over his chest. He noticed the way she had stopped struggling a while ago, and his brow creased.

"It's wise for you to have surrendered."

She didn't answer.

"You know I _can't _let you go free. Not after the charged against you." He walked casually up to her. "You're _far _too dangerous- even to yourself; my duties mark that I protect everyone from what you can do."

He put a hand on her short hair, and ruffled it, with some detached familiarity.

"And still I can't let you die..." He mused out loud. "That would be a true shame, as dangerous as you might be. I'm glad you finally recognised your place though, this way is far less pain for both you and me."

She finally looked at him, and underneath all that fogginess that drenched her irises, he say the ghost of some recognition, instead of her usual empty look. It lasted barely two seconds- or even less perhaps- and she looked down again, lost inside herself, the shell of what she once was and could have been.

He turned around.

"_Dies irae..."_

It had been barely more than a whisper. He looked at her from above his shoulder; but she was still there, as limp as some- _broken_- porcelain doll, her gaze casted downwards.

He shrugged it off as some trick of the wind, and exited the room.

* * *

"Do you know anyone who'd want to hurt Cheshire?" Lee rushed out.

Kakashi blinked and looked at them, closing his book. The three of them had appeared in his bedroom, while he was reading on his bed.

"...What?" He asked.

Tenten shot a dirty glance at Lee and chastised him about _"not being the right approach, Lee!"_

Neji took over the situation and filled the older man with the recent events. "Do you have any useful information? Is there some trouble she might have run into?"

Kakashi run a hand through his hair, ignoring the slight twinge of distress that descended through his spine. He debated with himself, torn between wanting to help and the image of a little girl who made him swear he would never reveal what they had talked about in a forest, while she was looking sad and miserable.

Neji coughed, eyeing him curiously. "She always looked like she was trying to run away from something..." He waited for the jounin to fall for the bait.

"She is... from many things..." He answered vaguely.

The Hyuga frowned, and looked at him directly in the eye, scrutinising him.

"We _need _to know what you know." He said, keeping his calmness, though slightly irritated. "She could be in trouble right now, aren't you worried?"

Kakashi sighed. He _was_ worried. Still...

He suddenly heard the echo of words spoken not long ago.

"_I'm afraid to be found even in here..."_

He stilled for the briefest moment, and in a sudden hit of radiant clarity he guessed what had happened. It was a long shot, and there was no real tangible proof, but he had a feeling he was right.

And, oh, how he wished he wasn't.

"Bring me a map, I might be able to send you in the accurate direction."

They looked at him strangely at the sudden change on his demeanour.

"I'll explain later, but if I am right... then Chesh _is_ in real trouble right now..."

* * *

_Fortuna vitrea est; tum cum splendet frangitur._

_Ex nihilo nihil fit. Disjecta membra._

It learnt to felt at ease in the dark after a while.

The drums were always there, though, a slow but certain sentence. They made its head hurt.

_Bibere venenum in auro._

_Abyssus abyssum invocat._

_Concordia discors._

Sometimes, it played games out of boredom. It tore itself into different pieces, and made one piece hide while the others looked for it.

It was entertaining, for a while.

Then some pieces started to never reappear again.

It looked and looked, but they never came back.

It smiled- bitter and sad.

_Inter arma, silent leges. Nulla avarita sine poena est. Memento vivere; memento mori._

_Factum est._

_Esto perpetua._

_In aeternum._

…

_Dies irae…_

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a knight in shiny armour. He fought for justice and protected the innocent. He chased corruption and evil away.

He fell in love with a half-faery. She was regal and haughty and calm. She was tall and beautiful and terrible.

Her hair was white.

She called the wind and let herself melt with it, perhaps her nature being that of a ghost. She never wanted him- he lived with that.

He only lived with the purpose of his duty after that.

Years later, he found another made of dust light enough to be carried by the wind. Soundlessly, effortlessly.

The resemblance was amazing.

He had grown harsh with age.

He took her to learn, to tame, to protect.

But thing went wrong after a while.

Blood, death, fire...

He grew even harsher. Justice isn't gentle. He realised the dangers of the half-Demon; realised he had confused it with a faery nature.

How wrong had he been...

Blood, death, fire...

Her nature was unstable, she was shattered, tainted. He couldn't bring himself to end her. He couldn't allow her to endager the rest.

Rough chains in dark places.

Perhaps this was the way to ensure peace?

Yes, yes... He grew even harsher. He saw corruption everywhere. He was haunted by her eyes- so alike to the eyes of another, so different too...

His jaw clenched. He saw corruption everywhere.

He was a knight and she was a dragon. He should slay her!

He couldn't.

He paid the price.

He swore to find his prey again, to recapture the dragon and keep it in the dark, where it could hurt no-one.

* * *

"Apparently, Cheshire _has_ been running from a man these past years. Kakashi didn't state his name, but said he's the ruler from a big town two weeks south from here. He says that it's quite likely for her to be in his power now, and that if that's so, then she's at high risk." Neji finished his inform.

Tenten fidgeted slightly, her brow furrowing in concern. Lee's fists tightened, his back straight, his lips slightly downwards.

Tsunade nodded slowly, and tapped a finger against the map at her desk, exactly over the name of the place. It was a long way from Konohagakure, and still they had no _actual_ evidence- Shizune reminded her that occasionally. _Very_ occasionally.

Then she voiced her resolve.

"Take two days to prepare yourselves for the trip; and then you'll go over there with Gai."

They nodded, accepting her orders.

She dismissed them, and sank into her chair, letting her gaze fall into the map once again.

"I still say this is all too vague, Lady Tsunade..." Shizune said.

"I know." And with that she stated that she wouldn't allow her decisions to be questioned any further. Shizune shrank a bit under the gaze of her master. "Are Yamato and his team back?" The blonde asked.

"No, they're not."

"Good. Something tells me Naruto would freak out if he knew, they're quite close, after all."

* * *

**Latin phrases... I don't know why, it just helped the atmosphere. Bwah.**

_**Fortuna vitrea est; tum cum splendet frangitur - **_**Fortune is glass; just when it gleams brightest it shatters.**

_**Ex nihilo nihil fit – **_**Nothing comes from nothing.**

_**Disjecta membra – **_**Scattered fragments.**

_**Bibere venenum in auro – **_**Drink poison from a cup of gold.**

_**Abyssus abyssum invocat – **_**Hell calls Hell, one misstep leads to another.**

_**Concordia discors – **_**Discordant harmony.**

_**Inter arma, silent leges - **_**In times of war, the law falls **_**silent**_

_**Nulla avarita sine poena est - **_**There is no avarice without penalty**

_**Memento vivere; memento mori – **_**Remember to live; remember to die.**

_**Factum est. – **_**It is done/ what's done it's done.**

_**Esto perpetua – **_**Let it be perpetual.**

_**In aeternum **_**– For eternity.**

_**Dies irae - **_**Day of wrath/ Judgement day. **


	33. Chapter 33

**Hello people, it's me, that stupid girl who when finally- FINALLY- some decent, funny, good looking- REALLY good looking- guy who's a law student and plays blues comes to talk to her out of the blue at some music festival thingy, she forgets to ask him for his number. Or surname, for that matter.**

**I'm such a failure at life. **

**On an unrelated note, I've been thinking about rewriting this thing, since I look at the earliest chapters and cringe. **

**Read on.**

* * *

Naruto sighed. It had been a _really_ stressful mission, not only having to put up with Sai- he grunted- but that encounter with Sasuke...

Well...

He _was_ going to bring Sasuke back. He had _not_ given up, no matter how shaken he was left after so many years without his best friend slash worst rival and having witnessed his change. He smiled, despite all.

He _would_ bring him back, no matter what. He would.

Right now, what he _really_ wanted was find something to eat- Ramen, probably... it would be even better if he found someone to pay for him too, seeing as he was pretty low on cash as of lately...

He gambled with his possibilities for a few seconds... He could go with Kakashi- sensei and ask him- repeatedly- to pay for his food, but the man would probably just read his book- _porn_ book- and give him a half-assed excuse about why he couldn't.

Come to think about it; was he out of the hospital? Naruto blinked. He hadn't check. He should check. He put that on his mental list of things to do on that day.

...After eating, of course.

_Of course._

Which brought him back to his current dilemma; should he go and fetch Iruka- sensei? He had paid for him- _many times_- before... Though given the time, right now he would be putting up with brats in the Academy. So he was off the list.

...Ero- sennin would, somehow, manage to make him have even _less_ money- he _couldn't_ allow that, no matter what- so he was _definitely_ off the list. And he _knew_ most of his friends would simply refuse just because, with a major or minor degree of hostility towards him.

Except maybe Chesh.

She _had_ treated him before, and she was kind enough to do it again- he ignored the fact that he had _no idea_ whatsoever where she found her source of income, and he refused to ask her (partly because she wouldn't answer, partly because he was afraid her answer would be something like _'oh, it's from the time I spent with crazy law-ignoring smugglers'_ or something like that). There was the fact that he hadn't seen her since he came back, but that was to be expected.

She enjoyed too much her half-nomadic lifestyle.

Oh, well, he would simply wait for her to arrive once again; he _knew_ she would, sooner or later. She liked to catch up with him on his missions, liked to ask him for every single little detail- not that he minded telling her, of course. He still wondered why, since he was pretty sure she already knew every single detail of his missions. She had her way of knowing things, after all.

Cheshire...

He smiled.

She was a good girl. And now that he had taken his time away to come to terms with the fact that she was a good _girl_ and had _kissed_ him- that did _not_ change a thing. It didn't! - He was eager to see her again. As a matter of fact, he was still waiting for her to appear out of no-where, envelop him in a bear hug and start rambling about some weirdo half-witch she met who offered her immortality in exchange for two dozen chandeliers. Or dragons, she liked dragons.

He blinked at himself. Well, having met Chesh had certainly done wonders for his imagination, apparently.

After walking a bit- and feeling _a little bit_ bad because of not having found her- he simply shrugged the topic off, and decided that she would appear at some point during these days. Most likely at night, when he was still sleeping, and he would wake up with the skinny girl curled up next to him; the ever-present coldness of her skin- which was _not_ natural- contrasting with her warm personality towards the others.

He looked up from the road, and saw both Ino and Sakura a few meters ahead of him, gossiping about one thing or another. He never understood why girls liked to gossip- Hell, he never understood how those two could get together and talk hours and hours about who kissed who like the best of friends, and the next minute they would behave like the worst enemies, verbally assaulting each other endlessly. It was a girl thing, he assumed. Or something.

He noticed the girls felt his presence and looked at him briefly with some weird look in their faces before exchanging glances between themselves and continued talking in hushed tones about something. Ino seemed to be telling Sakura some amazing secret, and the pink haired girl looked almost worried. And what about that look they gave him?

It was all really weird. He decided to go and find out.

"Hey! What was that about?" He greeted them casually, with a grin on his face.

They exchanged that little odd glance between themselves again.

"Well... uhm... Ino here was just telling me that rumour has it-"

"Hey, I'm telling you it's not just a rumour! _Geez_ what do you think? I _have_ reliable sources, it's not as if I go around picking up stories that may or may not be true! I do my research, thank you very much!"

Sakura rolled her eyes slightly.

"Yeah, sure, what she said." She ignored the pointed look from her friend. "_Anyway_, apparently there's this-"Ino snorted. "_Fine_- this _not_-rumour that Chesh's, well, _gone._"

He arched an eyebrow not really understanding what Sakura meant. So he asked just that.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she disappeared a while ago-"

"Doesn't she _always_ disappear?" He interrupted.

"_Yes-_ but this time it would appear that something _bad_ happened to her and that's why she's not here anymore!" She finished, slightly exasperated.

"Word has it" Ino crossed her arms firmly, and looked really serious for a second. "That she was running from the law and she's actually a really major assassin slash mercenary who regretted having completed her jobs and escaped both the one who where trying to catch her and her former employer; and now one of them got hold of her. I've also heard a version in which she was actually supposed to marry some rich Lord from somewhere when she turned sixteen, and she ran before that since she fell in love with some lowly thief with no code of honour who taught her how to swallow swords and walk in fire- some say she might have go with her love, or that the Lord's people found her." She sighed almost- dreamily. "That last story is particularly tragic..."

Naruto simply looked at her wit narrowed eyes. Odds were _she_ had invented half of the details in those stories.

"It all sounds _really_ far-fetched to me..." He muttered.

Ino scoffed at him. "Well, I'm telling you that I have _reliable sources_!" She insisted.

Yeah, sure. Of course she had.

"At any point, I still want to ask Lady Tsunade about it." Sakura informed. "It's not the first time I heard something about her disappearance since we arrived, and I don't know... I just have this feeling..."

Ino shrugged.

"Do as you like" She told her. "It's not as I'm particularly looking forward for Cheshire to return... she always gives me the creeps with that smile of hers." She faked a shiver.

Now it was Naruto who chose to roll his eyes.

"Come on Ino, you know she's not that bad!" He said.

"Sure, she just keeps a lot of secrets and evades personal questions. And that way she looks at you as if she can read you perfectly? That's creepy, with capital C!"

"She's _really_ nice once you get to know her..." He pressed on.

Ino shifted her position and looked at him carefully, obviously thinking about something with that brain of hers.

"And I guess _you_ would _really_ know her, huh?" She commented casually; _too_ casually. "After all, it seems like you two spend _a lot_ of time together... what is she, your girlfriend or something?" She asked with a smirk.

Naruto chocked on his own saliva.

"_No!_ No, just... _no_. Nothing like that! She's just my _friend_, that's why we spend a lot of time together! And she spends time with Shikamaru too, and sometimes Kiba, and Gaara; and even with Sakura!" He looked at the pink-haired girl for support. "Right?"

She simply half-nodded half-shrugged.

"You two _kissed._" Ino poked him in the chest with her finger.

He felt his cheeks flaming after that comment.

"That was nothing! I just- I mean _she_...!" He sighed, defeated, and looked at Sakura, who was obviously taking some delight at his embarrassment. Damned girls. "Didn't you want to go ask Tsunade?" He muttered.

"Oh, right!" Had she forgotten about it _that_ fast? "Well, the faster I get there, the faster I'll know what's _actually_ going on." She bid a quick goodbye to Ino and started walking towards the Hokage office. Naruto sprinted up to her, and fell easily with her step.

"Hey..." he started, looking serious. "Do you think something really happened to Chesh?"

She shrugged, unsure, and bit her lip.

"I don't know. I hope not, I like having her around."

"Yeah, me too..."

Sakura gave him a meaningful look and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a _'yeah I bet you do'_. He groaned in reply. Really, women were going to drive him crazy.

* * *

"Who told you that?" Tsunade grumbled, rubbing her eyes. _This_ was exactly what she had been trying to avoid.

"Well…" Sakura started slowly. "There is a rumour spreading around that she's gone and in trouble. Is that true?"

Tsunade felt the anxiousness of the both in front of her desk when she closed her eyes, trying to gather her words. She couldn't _lie_ to them- they would find out the truth sooner or later.

Dammit.

"We have some leads to believe that indeed she _is_ in some danger-"She ignored the stiffness that suddenly took over Naruto's body. "Kakashi provided with some clues for us to follow, and I've already decided how to deal with this issue."

"So what are we waiting then? When are we going?" Naruto asked her fervently.

Like Hell he was going to just stand still and wait while Chesh was in some trouble… somewhere…

No way. She had been _always_ been there for him; he was going to do the same for her.

Tsunade arched an eyebrow and studied- _judged_- him.

"_You_ are not going anywhere, Naruto." She simply commanded.

"But-!"

"I said I've _already_ decided matters, did I not?!" She hit her desk with her fist. Really, what was it with him that made her angry so fast? "You came back _yesterday!_"

Besides… she received the inform from Yamato. Naruto had gotten out of control during his mission, and even if they had managed to calm him down…

It was dangerous. She knew she would be playing with fire with the attachment he had generated to this girl if she sent him on this mission- they had _no idea_ what the state of Cheshire could be! She could be injured, or even _dead!_ And she was _sure_ that he would freak out at that, and being the holder of the Kyuubi…

She shook her head. It was too risky. She had another team already that was more than efficient to perform the mission.

"You _can't_ tell me to sit around if she's in trouble!" He screamed at her.

"Can't I?! Listen to me here, you brat, I _can_, and I'm telling you so!" She screamed back.

Sakura and Shizune where _seriously_ trying to avoid getting into the crossfire of screams.

"What if it had been someone you care about?! What if it had been someone of your family! Would _you_ wait still until you heard any news?! Wouldn't you want to go out and _do something?!"_

He had been screaming nonsense, of course.

She had instantly thought about her brother… her lover…

That struck a nerve. She stood up and looked at Naruto in the eye, trying- and succeeding- to stare at him into submission.

"Out." She said.

"But-!"

"OUT!"

Sakura dragged the blonde out of her office before something else happened.

Tsunade sighed, and calmed herself down. If it had been them…

She certainly wouldn't have allowed to be ordered to simply wait in there while someone else handled it. She wouldn't have, she knew it.

She also knew that she would have found a way or another to go '_do something'_. And she knew that Naruto was as hard-headed as her when there was something he wanted.

He wanted to go. Badly.

She sighed again.

"Shizune, go fetch Captain Yamato. Tell him that he and his new team will be accompanying Team Gai on their mission tomorrow, and that he should come here today to go over details."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"


	34. Chapter 34

**This chapter was delayed due to the fact that I went out of town, soul-searching, for the weekend. I went to a seaside place where my family's got an old house, it's the place where basically I grew up, and stores many happy memories. **

**Thing is, I had my heart slightly broken- **_**again-**_** by the same guy- **_**again**_**-; (long story, don't want to bother you with details) and I've felt like I was at a crossroad point in my life, with no real true answer to a million questions. Like I didn't know if what I was doing was right- **_**is this the career I want to study? Am I becoming the person that I've always wanted to be? Am I building the life I've always dreamed for me?**_** - I felt like I was drowning. I was sick and tired of everything and everyone. I was seriously stuck.**

**So I took a walk at dawn barefoot at the beach with my old German shepherd- bless that dog, the old mutt-. I re-traced old steps through empty streets late at night to a friend's house. I spent time with two girls that over the ten years I've known them, they keep and keep on showing to me that what you consider as family doesn't always has to be blood-bound. I counted stars and laughed really loud, ate four doughnuts and a litre of ice-cream. And talked about the uncertainties of life. I sighed a lot, and perhaps cried a little bit too. **

**Now I'm at peace again, I regained my inner balance somehow. That's a good thing.**

**Anyway, MAJOR shout-out to the lovely ****songo714****, who's really talented and draw young Chesh, making me realize in the process that Cheshire does, in fact, look good in a sundress. Thank you once again dear!**

**( sebabug dot tumblr dot com/post/48451234889/i-doodled-a-picture-of-cheshi re-from-mswolffes ) (You know, just erase the spaces and replace the word "dot" with an actual ".")**

* * *

At some deep dark unnamed point of not-quite-existence, Cheshire dwelled between her chains. Her head was pounding, but she paid no attention to that.

"Look at you, you little sorry thing..."

She looked up, almost waiting to see Sanguini standing there, judging by the mocking tone she heard. She saw indeed a wolf in front of her.

But not Sanguini. A normal wolf, with only two pair of paws and free of any Demon taint.

A starving wolf.

With yellow eyes so real and haunting, with a greying fur that was ruffled. With chains at its neck- _her_ neck- and paws that impede her from going anywhere- hence her lack of food, hence her pitiful state.

She walked left and right, left and right, her terrible eyes never straying from the girl in chains in front of her.

"You _disgust_ me" The animal informed her.

Cheshire cringed, but accepted the judgement anyway.

"That would only mean you're disgusted of yourself..." The girl muttered, half-surprised that she still got her own ability to talk.

The wolf clicked her tongue and stopped her pacing.

"Perhaps I _am_." She said slowly, in a low tone. "I am merely a simple shadow of what I was after all. Look at me! I'm _trapped!_ _You_ are trapped! Not only trapped, but talking to your own mind too. Foolish child."

Cheshire blinked, a slow half-smirk making its way into her lips.

"Did I just insult myself?" The girl asked the animal, amused by her discovery.

"You did. I did. _We_ did." The creature said, rolling her eyes.

"What are you?"

"Me?" The pacing started once again. "A piece of you, _obviously_. As for _why_ do I look like a wolf... Beats me. So that means you don't know that either."

Cheshire ran a hand through her own hair, making her thick chains clink in the motion. She flinched at the sound.

"You're my subconscious or something of the likes?" She asked.

"_...Or something of the likes"_ The wolf replied.

Everything went silent and dark once again, and Chesh allowed her twisted, wretched, fragmented mind fall into the deeps of imposed slumber once again.

She wouldn't wake up.

* * *

Cheshire had always been there for him. Every single time he needed comfort, she was there with her light touches and warm hugs.

If he needed reassurance, she would smile- not that he particularly _liked_ her smile- and tell him he'd do fine because he simply would. And then tell him a story or two about some places with weird names and its people with weirder names. Not as if 'Cheshire' _wasn't_ a weird name, but still.

If he was bored, she would spend time with him- if she was around and unoccupied- and entertain him with _something_ she'd just come up with.

If he was afraid, she would simply talk him out of his fear. Well, she would trace the lines of some _really_ intricate conversation with big, fanciful words and perhaps a rhyme of two and he would get lost and understand not a thing, and simply forget about the subject. He'd forget he had been afraid in the first place.

If he was excited, she would stand by him and listen _all_ of his rambling with eager eyes, always encouraging him to continue- even if she already knew what he was telling her. And he knew she _always_ knew it beforehand. She was Cheshire, after all.

And now they- both his team and Team Gai- were there, on the road, at night, resting. The details were very vague- like the girl they had hopes to find-; apparently in some big town south from Konohagakure they would find their answers. Naruto expected to find less answers and more Cheshire.

There was some guy- he didn't care about the name, really-, supposedly the leader of said town, who had been antagonising their Chesh- since when had he started thinking of her as _'their'_? - For some years, and Kakashi suspected he had taken hold of her.

Apparently, the guy wasn't really _that_ strong on its own, but being in a position of power, he had his own bunch of loyal minions. Naruto smirked despite it all; it was nothing they couldn't handle.

...In theory.

He looked around. Gai and Lee were doing push-ups like maniacs. Sakura was tending to the fire they had built, while Captain Yamato stared into the flames, deep in thought. Sai- Naruto's eye twitched a little- was simply sitting there, with an unreadable smile, sketching something. Tenten was dutifully sharping a kunai- though to him, it appeared that she did so mainly to have her hands busy with something- ; and Neji was sitting cross-legged, his back straight, eyes boring into the ground- seriously, what had the earth done to him to deserve such a glare?-, looking just so like _Neji_ that Naruto had to stop the urge to snicker.

Wait...

He suddenly remembered something that irked his curiosity. He stood up and walked up to the Hyuuga, kneeling in front of him. Neji's glare simply travelled from the ground up to the blonde. Naruto furrowed his brow.

"Why are you here?" He asked the black-haired boy.

"Elaborate." Was his reply, with an arched elegant eyebrow.

Naruto crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes ever-so-slightly.

"Didn't you hate Chesh?" He blurted out.

"Why would I hate her?" In all honesty, he was straining to keep his tone calm and her patience in check.

Naruto shrugged.

"Last time I checked, you didn't get along." He simply stated. It was a rather simple statement indeed. "I mean, she did _slap_ you and-"

"And then you went away for more than two years." Neji cut him. "We sorted our differences."

"Really?" The blonde looked genuinely impressed. "How so?"

"It's a long story." The black-haired informed. And then he kept quiet. He _really_ wasn't in the mood for this conversation right now. Or never, if he could wish for it.

"What Neji's trying to say" Tenten clarified, her hands still on the weapon. "Is that Cheshire somehow managed to make him run after her all day- and I mean _literally_ run-, and then make him fall into a river. I don't even know _how _or _why_, but at the end of the day they were sharing the same training area and meditating together." Her hands stilled in mid-motion. "You know Neji, you never said how did she exactly did all that without you killing her..."

"Cheshire's got her ways." He would have shrugged, but Neji didn't shrug. "But don't think her and I are _friends_. We simply managed to reach an agreement of sorts. Some of her ideas seem... valid, even if unorthodox." And he was done with the subject.

He would_ not_ talk about it any further.

Naruto blinked slowly. And then he smirked. And then he started laughing- _loudly_- earning more than one eye-roll from his fellow shinobi.

He couldn't help it!

He tried to picture the image of what Tenten had just told him, but it was a scene so unlike Neji! The image of the Hyuuga boy _running_ after the short girl all day long was hilarious alone. The picture of Cheshire making him- and his perfect, silken hair- fall into a river was simply ridiculous. And the idea that the girl had managed to still keep her skin intact from Neji's implacable wrath, and even arrived to some sort of truce with him by the end of the day was incredibly _bizarre_.

She _was_ Cheshire, though. She had a way of trapping you into her own private chaotic whirlwind- after colliding into your life without any previous warning- and turning your world upside down- not always for better, though.

Sai looked at his sketch before nodding approvingly, and approached the others, the drawing in his hand.

"I haven't met this girl, but I've heard some things and descriptions. Is this accurate?"

Sakura half-sighed, half-swallowed an amused smile.

"Sai." She addressed the boy. "Cheshire does _not_ have so many fangs. And you forgot her scar."

* * *

_The blasted imp-girl had stolen his forehead protector. It was outrageous! Now he was walking with the mark he hated so much on his forehead- he had managed to make _some _amends with his uncle and his family in general, but he still loathed the mark- for everyone there to see!_

_The filthy thief. Damned girl; damned her three times. _

_She had smiled too, that hideous smile of her, and started running away from him._

"_Wipe that frown of your face! Run, come on, catch me... if you can!"_

_And he had run after her. Mainly to wipe that unnerving grin- _not_ natural- off her face. Secondly because he needed his protector back- he did _not_ want his mark out there, visible for everybody. Thirdly for a reason he couldn't exactly point out, but he could tell that watching her run had started some animal-like instinct on him, like she was his prey. _

_It could also have been out of sheer anger too. He _was_ angry._

_Really angry. _

_So he had run after her, hours and hours non stop. He had tried ambushing her, making her walk straight to his traps- he was a freaking genius and she was just some foolish girl, right?- and she had simply vanished before he could get a hold of her. _

_Until he found her at the edge of a particularly deep and wild river. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts, staring deep into the water abyss. She didn't seem to notify his presence._

_He took his chance and charged, and recovered what was his. And she tripped and fell into the water. _

_Neji stared at the roaring liquid, waiting for her to resurface- he was _so not_ done with her!-; but she didn't. For a long time. _

_So he grunted and kneeled on the edge of the river- _after_ re-fastening his forehead protector, of course- and activated his Byakugan, ready to search for the girl and drag her to the surface- he didn't intend for her to _die_, please._

Bad_ idea. _

_The moment towered over the river, she was the one that jumped out the water, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and dragged him down with her._

_He hated her guts and that too-wide grin. He hated that she looked like some sort of water-nymph with her long dark hair moving around her in slow motions like a halo. He hated that he had fell into her trap like that. _

_Both resurfaced again, and she simply started to walk away with a light step._

"_Where are you going?!" He demanded._

"_To meditate!" It was her cheerful answer. "Want to join me? I could use some company."_

_He hated that she acted so freaking casual after all that. He hated that he had his Byakugan still activated, and could count the broken bones inside her body, the scars beneath her dress- she was slightly limping too. He hated the fact that he got up and followed her, his hair still dripping wet, and sat down next to her- it didn't make sense! And he was primarily a logic-guided person! - Still pissed off as Hell, but now curious too. _

_He hated the fact that blood started to wet the lower back of her dress, some evident old wound re-opened by all her previous movement. She was sitting still, paying no attention to the injury._

"_Do you want to hear about the Ten Principles of Balance essential for an advanced meditation style that allows you a better access of your chakra network?"_

_He hated himself for saying _'yes'_._

* * *

They had finally arrived to the place. More like a town, it seemed like a huge fortress to be honest. Most people call it Blackgate. Some people though, part of the more colourful bunch of dubious honour and tricky ways, simply referred to it as 'the Nest', an allegory to the hundreds of people that walked through its crowded streets every single day.

Unfortunately, the place had its doors completely closed at night-time.

It _was_ night-time.

So the group of shinobi had agreed on resting at a prudent distance from the place for the night, and when the sun was up once again, they would enter and find as many clues as they could- _no, Naruto, simply demanding to know where Chesh is and occasioning unnecessary bloodshed _is_ a terrible idea._

So they were trying to find a suitable location for the time-being, unknown to them that they where being watched by a man with an accent in his voice and a half-mask on his face. He had black hair and a gold earring, tanned skin and a pirate smile.

And a whole caravan of gypsies at his disposal.

"Ah, fresh meat!" He mused out loud, from the tree he was leaning against. "Wonder what the likes of those be doin' at the Nest..."

He smirked at himself and watched them settle down. Fair enough, he would found out soon.


	35. Chapter 35

**Incredibly long chapter coming up to celebrate de 35****th**** chapter! Seriously guys, it's **_**long**_**. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it... so... please tell me what you think? Something more than an "I like it." Please? **

**I mean, I spent like the whole afternoon with this. Seriously, I did.**

* * *

Shinobi are trained to expect the unexpected. They are taught since a young age to always sleep with an eye open, to never cease glancing at the shadows, to trust almost no-one, to always hide their emotion. Don't let an enemy ninja catch you off ward. Never.

However, shinobi are definitely _not_ taught to expect being ambushed by a group of gypsies and their wicked ways of ambushing people.

Perhaps their first clue should have been the too-quiet night, the stillness of the wind... or that weird smell in the air. But they all shrugged it off as some flower from the region they never heard of before; the scent was sweet and floral and oddly calming. And they _were_ right... to a degree.

Everybody and their cousin knows that gypsies know their way around plants, that they can turn a simply flower with calming properties to a perfume capable of knocking out an entire army and their horses.

...Or eight ninjas. Yeah, that works too.

After all, gypsies are tricky folk with even trickier ways, they can smile at you while giving you poisoned food; they can look terrifying while helping you for free. They enjoy being loud. They can hide the darkest secrets. They are quite the performers- a play, a lie, it's all the same...

They are gypsies.

Eternal nomads, shady characters, the ones who tipped the odds but never remained in the spotlight for more than a couple of seconds- Their ways of doing things aren't exactly _legal_ in a lot of places.

Gypsies are smart folk, who usually searches for the company of stupid folk. Of weak folk. Weak and stupid is easier to trick, easier to frighten, easier to insult without them noticing. That's probably why they usually visit civilian towns, places where the simplest ability can be labelled as "Magic! Magic! Catch them for God's sake!"; places where politics are simple enough for them to remain outside them- or even spice them up at their benefit.

That's why probably gypsies don't usually visit any place filled with mercenaries. Or any place ruled by some twisted political issue. Or any place filled with ninjas who have been trained to kill since they could basically walk.

...That didn't meant they wouldn't pass on the opportunity if any of the above mentioned groups walked straight to their camp. Nope. Not at all.

And that's the tale of how Naruto Uzumaki, holder of the Kyuubi, future Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, awakened roughly to a kick on the ribs, courtesy of a booted foot. His eyes opened instantly and found a pair of startlingly ice-blue ones looking at him from behind a half mask with swirls of black, blue, and purple. There was a man towering above him, scrutinizing him with those eyes and a hand on his hip. He had tanned skin and black hair, tied in a low-ponytail. His clothes were well-worn, and in the same colours as his mask. He wore a cape, and a golden earring gleamed from his ear.

His mouth twisted into a crooked smile.

"Ah, finally awake!" He had an accent.

Naruto blinked and sat down straight, trying to rub his eyes- he found he couldn't. His hands where tied firmly together, making him unable of performing any possible hand sign. He looked around, gathering his whereabouts... the others were tied in a similar fashion, with the exception of Gai and Lee- they were completely unconscious.

The weird man followed his line of vision and shrugged.

"They were too feisty." He told the blonde. "Keep yellin' nonsense about somethin' that sounded like _blah blah blah youth_ and whatnot. Wouldn't listen to me."

Naruto nodded soundlessly; it seemed like a thing those two would... Wait.

Wait a minute. His mind was finally clearing...

"Hey! Who the Hell are you?!" He shouted at the man, tugging in vain at his bindings. "Let us go!"

He noticed that some other men- and women- where around them too, most wore similar clothes to the man's, the women had long skirts and were barefoot; all of them where looking at the shinobi in the centre with a mixture between curiosity and disapproval.

Earring-and-cape dude kneeled to be at his eyelevel, and his eyes twinkled behind that mask.

"As I was sayin' before to your companions... who are _you_?" He countered. "You're obviously _not_ from around..." He flickered at the symbol on his headband.

"Well, why do you care? That's none of your business!" The blonde roared.

The man just rolled his eyes, almost painfully. He stood up and walked thoughtfully, his hands behind his back.

"Fine." He seemed to reach a decision. "It would appear that I forgot my manners- I'd say I apologise for that, but I don't feel sorry for it-; anyway... Perhaps you'd be more willing to talk if I introduced myself first?"

None replied. Nevertheless, the man dipped himself in a low bow, tipping off an imaginary hat- Naruto was instantly reminded of the same gesture he'd seen Cheshire performing many times, a fact which only augmented his urgency of getting off this..._predicament_.- and spoke with a charming smile upon his lips.

"My name is Killian, though I'm also known as the Gypsy King, and _'That bastard did it again! Get him! I want his body to rot in the darkest prison!' _for any authority figure." Some of the gypsies surrounding him snickered. "And tis my caravan. My family, my companions, teammates, and at times, employees."

Killian took off his half-mask, and tapped a finger against the bridge of his long nose, humming under his breath. He surveyed all of his captives, and finally pointed at Yamato with an accusatory index.

"You." He said. "You seem the most normal of all... despite whatever odd happenstance in your life made you wear that weird metal thingy 'round your face." He walked up to him calmly. "We can do this either the good way or the bad way. Your options are; number one, I can free you- and only _you_- and we have a civil chat. Or we can do twisted, awful things to you and your companions, your choice."

Yamato squared his shoulders as much as he could, and assessed Killian with his eyes. His ANBU training had made him able to remain calm and think rationally even in the most stressful situation- and having some sort of crazy gypsy to decide the future of your life can be quite stressful, mind you. He cleared his throat.

"A 'civil chat' about what?" He asked.

Killian arched an eyebrow.

"Why, do you believe we just go 'round capturing random people? Well, aye, sometimes we _do_... but not the point. I believe we can arrange some sort of... deal, per say. You can be of help to us, the same way we can be of help to you." He smiled that pirate smile of him. "What say you?"

Both men ignored the snarling and tossing around Naruto kept on making.

"What makes you think we're interested in your help?" Yamato asked.

The gypsy laughed, showing some rather pointy fangs.

"Listen, we're _gypsies_. We have a way of gettin' things done. We hear just about everything everyone says; we _see_ things. And we're excellent entertainers, that's why people hire us most times. You come from a very far place- I don't know where, nor do I _care_- so you're _obviously_ looking for something important inside the Nest. It's a big city, rather harsh too; it's easy to slip and break like four rules in only one sentence, next thing you know, you're condemned to die in prison. We _might_ have information of help to you."

Yamato meditated over this a few seconds, well... It _was_ true that they were in this with very few leads. And Killian had a point; if they could acquire some information, whatever little snippet of rumour; that would be a valuable thing indeed. Still...

"What's in for you? Why are you so interested in collaborating with us?"

He shrugged.

"Perhaps we're just actually very kind people who can't deny some help to weird-looking strangers...? Nay, really. What's the universal language of the world? Money. We can trade information for coin... and other things, perhaps, but those are matters to discuss between us. Will you hear what I have to say?"

In no real position to argue, Yamato simply nodded. Killian cut the ropes around his wrists- that would have been the perfect occasion to attack him, but seeing as the rest of his companions were still tied and outnumbered...-; the black-haired man motioned for him to follow. So he did.

They entered into the forest next to the road, and walked in silence for about fifteen minutes before Killian decided it was a good enough place to sit down and discuss business. He sat down on a sturdy rock, and the ANBU captain on a fallen tree in front of him.

"You're ninjas." The gypsy simply stated. "That means that you won't reveal your mission to us, even if we tortured you. It also means that you're here most likely to steal information, kill someone that's been too troublesome... or perhaps recover something? Some_one_?"

Yamato's jaw clenched slightly.

"You seem too know a lot about shinobi..." He carefully stated.

Killian shrugged.

"I am a man of world; I know about many people in many places. Let's see... judging for your reaction, I'm in a good track, ain't I? Come on; let me see some _incentive_ and my tongue might get even looser."

Yamato studied the man in front of him carefully, and then he dug on his pocket and threw him a small leather pouch filled with a considerable amount of coin. Killian seemed to accept the offering, because his stance became much more relaxed, and he ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Let's see..." He started. "That city you're headed to, the Nest- Blackgate- is a harsh city, as I stated before. It's big and prospers, and any dubious behaviour _won't_ be tolerated. It's ruled by a harsh man named Ser Osric; he's a veteran, started his way as a common guardsman, and somehow ended up in the leading position. He doesn't trust anyone, is always uptight as if there was a stick up his... err, _ahem, right._ He always does what he believes it's _just_ and _rightful_¸ even if it's ridiculous, and takes a lot of pride on his past adventures. He takes more pride on the little tokens he took as war-loot, and likes instantly anyone who admires them. The only way around him would be havin' a name. Name and reputation, that's what he cares about; with a strong enough family name, you'll have 'im eating from your palm."

"He sounds... interesting..."

"He's as boring as Hell if you ask me, but whatever. It would be _really_ stupid to provoke him, anyway, he's not only strong, but also he's got practically an army at his service. And you don't seem like the sort of folk who'd like to simply cause wreck and bloodshed into a full town of innocent people just to get what you want."

Yamato nodded, deep in thought. Then he looked at Killian straight in the eye, and asked his question as carefully as he was able to.

"Tell me, have you seen anything... anyone... _strange_ enter Blackgate as of lately?" He tried to look as calm as he could.

Killian simply smirked.

"That depends on your definition of 'strange' and 'recently'. There are rumours though... Osric have been trying to get hold of some _creature_ since a couple of years ago. Some say it's some sort of Demon shapeshifter who will take the form as an innocent little girl to lure people into approaching her and then it kills them. Tis just rumours, of course..."

"And if said things were true, where would this creature be...?"

The gypsy narrowed his eyes.

"Nice game you are playing, Ser Ninja..." He commented. "_If _the rumours were true, _if_ anyone was trying to take... a look... at said being... Osric is the sort of man who simply wouldn't let it leave his sight. It would most likely be at his own castle. Big building at the heart of the city, it's unmistakable."

Yamato nodded again. He had gained a lot of information with this talk.

"_If_ anyone was trying to learn anything about this supposed Demon, it would do it good to them to hear a story." Killian suddenly blurted out. "I can tell it to you, if you'd want to hear it. Just to, you know, kill some time. Since it would be a fool's errand to try to get the creature of Osric hands, and you _obviously_ don't seem like fools..."

"_Of course_. You might tell it to me then, I'm simply curious about this creature, now..."

"_Of course_, I wouldn't doubt for a second that _curiosity_ is your prime reason for wanting to hear this."

A moment passed in which they simply smirked at each other. Then Killian cleared his throat, and started his tale in the most storyteller fashion he could achieve, a thing that came as natural to him as it was breathing to keep himself alive.

"Around twenty years ago, a young woman appeared into Blackgate. Nobody knew where she came from, or who she was exactly, and she was rather secretive about her personal matters. Oh, but she was beautiful. She had completely white hair, and pale grey eyes; she had an almost regal aura about her, her eyes were haughty and piercing- but she showed gentleness to the children. She walked as if she owned every spot where she placed her feet, and she had the strangest ability to disappear at her will. Some say it's magic... Personally, I don't believe so. Anyway; if this woman had a name, it's not known, but people needed to refer to her somehow, and someone looked at her and called her Haruka. I've heard it means something like _'far off'_, or _'distant'_.

Osric was younger at that time, and it happened what most happens to every young man when he meets a beautiful woman. He fell for her, head over heels. He tried everything; she rolled her eyes at his war-tales and achieved glory. She grimaced at his insipid poetry. She laughed at the flowers he sent her every day. He would only fall harder for her- some say it edged the border of obsession. Then she disappeared one day like she did. She never came back.

It undid Osric.

So he focused on more essential matters; war and leadership and protecting his town. And he became harsher, colder.

Not ten years ago, he was walking through these woods, on a hunt party with his hounds, when the strangest occurrence happened; a little girl, not older than six, appeared out of thin air in front of him, just like that white woman used to do before. Osric noticed the resemblance was uncanny, even if the colours were not; it was obvious that the girl had the woman's blood in her veins. And the same ability. This made Osric both incredibly happy- it was something that connected him to Haruka- and incredibly angry- this girl could only by her daughter. He asked her about her mother, and she told him she had died some years ago. He asked her about her father, and she told him he was tall and strong and really busy, but nothing more. He asked her about her home, and she said nothing. She just looked at him with those bright eyes and that innocent smile only kids manage to have.

So his world was shook by this almost-memory of his past, but he had no actual answers. So he took the little girl with him. And he tried to get answers. Asking kindly first.

Nothing.

Bribing her then.

Nothing.

He grew angry and threatened her.

Nothing, she just looked at him in fear.

He grew tired after a while, so he gave her to some doctors eager to research about her special ability. They poked and prodded and treated her like an animal, she was even put on a dark room with chains and branded with hot iron. She was an experiment. She was afraid. Fear and pain can do horrible things to one's mind... I don't know what happened, but there were screaming, blood, and broken chains. Osric saw the girl as a potential threat, her eyes had changed, her mind shattered and twisted- so young, already had killed... even if _I_ can sustain it _was_ in self-defence. _I_ would have done it too.-; he chased after her. She was nowhere to be found... it's said she run to the forest next to this one, nobody goes in there. And because of a good reason too; Demons lurk in there, it's a dark place where no people that go inside ever come back. They thought of her as dead.

Osric grew harsher still. And slightly paranoid.

She came back years later; older, with long hair and a wicked smile. She still looked like her mother on the surface, but inside...

This time he chained her without a second thought, after all, the dead don't come back from life. He saw her differently now, she wasn't just a dangerous child, no. In his eyes, she wasn't even human. Her face was scarred now; she tried to vanish many times... But her chains were special now. She couldn't disappear.

This time, it was all worse... Half of this town and its people were set into fire. White furious flames turned everything to ashes, no matter how many buckets of water they were attacked with.

The fire took mostly everything. Dozens of innocent and guilty lives as if they were the same thing. We were around at that time; I remember seeing the desperation, the fear... The flames extinguished after two days, all by themselves. I remember watching a human figure with short hair disappear, as if it was dust in the wind.

The girl... she was named Demon. Malchance was the name they gave her- among many others, of course. Osric realised his mistake of letting his guard down near the creature, and he swore that he would find it once again and trap it forever. _For the greater good_." He fell silent for some minutes, allowing Yamato to digest the information. "That's about it; it seems that he finally got a hold of her again. A lot of people celebrated at the news; a lot of other shook in fear... but nobody was allowed to see her. _It."_

"I see..." Yamato processed the information slowly. A lot of things were said of Cheshire, all the way back at Konohagakure... but he wouldn't have guessed something like this. It made the girl guilty of a terrible act. It made her a victim too, though that didn't justify her actions.

It explained the way how everybody said she was so secretive, how she hated being tied down to a place, how people told him she looked _off_.

Come to think about it, it was not that unlike what had happened to him... The experiment parts, of course.

Though he was happy now more than ever that he had still managed to grow up as a functional, normal human being. This girl had shattered along the way.

He suddenly remembered something.

"You said that coin was only a part of what you wanted." He told Killian. "What's the rest?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, that won't be necessary, given the... turn of events. I am a gypsy, I tell stories by nature; it's a _pleasure_ for me to do so. You allowed me to indulge. Besides..." He trailed off. "Ah, forget it. Just... do what you came to do. Let us return, shall we?"

* * *

"What do you mean I _can't_ go inside?!" Naruto yelled.

Yamato sighed. He had told them what the gypsy had told him, story and all. Their reactions were varied, some angry, some curious... all of them surprised, of course. He suspected that deep down; they all knew that something was seriously wrong with the girl or something, but still. And with the information, they had elaborated a carefully designed plan. A plan all of them approved- except for Naruto.

Yamato sighed- _again_.

"I told you _already_. This mission needs to be executed on the subtlest way, Naruto. Ser Osric apparently likes people with a name and reputation, that's were Neji goes in. The Hyuuga name is a much respected one, being an ancient and powerful family. There's the chance that Osric might have heard of it, and if he hadn't, he can make a quick research and discover that's a truth. Sakura, Sai and I will pass as his escorts, besides, if Cheshire happens to be hurt in some way... Sakura will help with that." He looked at said girl, and she nodded dutifully.

"But why must the rest of us be left outside?!" Naruto pressed on.

"Because Tenten is a weapon expert! If they search us and find _any_ weapon, they'll discard it! And Gai and Lee..." He looked at the pair. "Which part of _subtle_ you didn't understood?! No offence, Gai."

"None taken, of course! The youthful power that rages inside me isn't made to be subtle, it needs to roar mighty and let it-"

"_Indeed._ And you, Naruto... How can you be sure that you'll be able to control... you know what happened last time." Yamato glanced at Sakura. "This whole situation would be too stressful for you to handle correctly- and it could end up horrible that way."

"But you _can't_ simply make me wait in here-!"

"What if you hurt Cheshire, huh?! What if you get so angry that... it goes out of control! It's not as if something like that hadn't happened before."

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"I would _never_ hurt her, or anyone of my friends, for that matter." He spat.

"And I know _you_ wouldn't. But it's too risky... I'm not saying that you all will simply stay in here and do nothing. We go inside, and I take a bug with me, so that you can listen what's going on. You wait outside the castle, and if you hear any trouble, then you'll assist us immediately. But let's hope for this to run smoothly though."

Naruto nodded, still angry. Firstly, Tsunade didn't want him to come; then some gypsy weirdo tied him and kicked him on the ribs, and he was forced to sit down and wait while Captain Yamato took a stroll with said weirdo; and now... Now this!

He _was_ angry. But he couldn't argue with them at the moment, not while Chesh was there, somewhere, with a man who thought her as a Demon.

Yeah... she _had_ killed people- _innocents_- and that was a terrible thing. But he _knew_ her, she was _gentle_, she was _nice_... there was no way that she had done that in her right mind!

...Right?

At least, he was desperately clinging to that hope.

"There is another matter, thought. I've been thinking of this for a while." Neji draw their attention to him. "There's _this_ problem" He signalled his headband. "Cheshire wears Konohagakure symbol too, they might link us with her."

There was a pregnant pause while everyone wrecked their minds for a solution. Even if they took it off, they were still going to use the Hyuuga name, which was directly linked to the Leaf Village...

"No, she doesn't wear it." Naruto chimed in. "Not while she travels. She doesn't like to be associated with any place when she goes off to somewhere... she says she doesn't want to get involved with politics."

"And how do you know this...?" Neji asked; a raised eyebrow.

Naruto shrugged.

"She told me. She just wears it _inside_ Konoha... though I was supposed to not to say anything or something like that... Umm... yeah."

Neji simply stared at him.

* * *

"Hyuuga you say? And from where?" A man that looked like a butler asked them.

"The Village Hidden in the Leaves." Neji answered. "At the Fire Country. I'd like an audience with Ser Osric."

"And the purpose of said audience...?"

"That is business between your employer and me."

The butler scoffed, but nodded nevertheless.

"I'll go search for him, sir."

The four shinobi were left alone in the hall of sorts, and they took their time to look around themselves. The place was decorated with a lot of effort, with huge paintings of stern-looking people and some trinkets like masks, armours, and swords hung from the walls.

Finally, the butler came back, Ser Osric in tow.

The leader of Blackgate had cunning eyes, and walked with heavy, firm steps. His faces reminded them of a bird of prey, and when he scanned them, he looked every part like one.

His face finally broke into a gracious small smile, and he motioned the butler to get out of the room.

Osric made a half-bow in front of the newcomers, and Neji replied with the same.

"A Hyuuga heir, am I told?" He asked in his deep voice. "What do I owe this honour to?"

"The honour is all mine." Neji was definitely well-bred, and at times like this, he showed it. "Stories of your achievements are well-known everywhere, Ser." He easily lied. "We were just returning to our home town, when we heard about a most interesting story."

"And what could that be about?"

"It is said that you have managed to get hold of a dangerous woman, a wicked creature..."

The man's lips pressed together in a firm line, his eyes narrowing.

"I assume the Demon's doings extended to your town too...? Blasted creature, I hope she didn't kill half your population with that infernal flames of her."

"No, fortunately the damages were minimal. Anyway, her capture has arrived to my leader's ears, and I was given orders of delay our return so I could properly thank you. Also, I've been asked if I could see the creature with my own eyes so I can properly give inform of her state."

Ser Osric seemed to meditate after the second request perhaps a minute longer than what he should have.

"That sounds... reasonable. Unfortunately, I was just about to head off to some important business..."

"It wouldn't take us more than a moment."

"Perhaps... perhaps you wouldn't mind if I didn't accompany you? She's successfully neutralised, unable to harm anyone. There are guards just outside her room, just in case. I'll make sure my butler accompanies you both to the room and back here to the exit."

It was an elegant way of saying that he _would_ make sure they didn't stay a minute too long in there. On the other hand, he _was_ presenting them with the opportunity to get to see Cheshire alone.

"You are most kind, Ser Osric."

"Please, it's my pleasure."

* * *

"Cheshire?"

_Nothing_.

It was as if she was there, but she wasn't...

The moment they all entered the room, it seemed to them that they had fallen into an almost surreal place. It was a well-lit room, with a tall window and a view of the city below. In the centre of the room, a small pond... in the centre of the pond, a small island.

In the centre of the island; Cheshire.

She was sitting there, her gaze on the ground below her, with long straps of coloured silk tied to her wrists, her ankles, her waist, her neck... they all rose high in the air up to the ceiling. They didn't appear to be holding her too roughly, but somehow, they impeded her from vanishing away.

She was wearing a white kimono, the clothing seemed expensive, and it had a pattern of small butterflies stitched in gold. The both the hem and the neckline were adorned with fluffy white fur. Her feet were bare.

"Cheshire?" Neji tried again.

Still nothing.

It was as if she couldn't hear them... she seemed almost asleep. Dead.

Except that they could see her chest slowly rise and fall with each breath she took. But she was dead alright... on the inside, maybe.

This is what happened when she wasn't allowed to be free? This... almost vegetable being is what she turned into when chained?

Was she condemned to remain like this, a pretty sight but useless as a living creature for the rest of her days if she remained in here?

Sakura bit her lip. Cheshire had always been good to her. It broke her heart a little to see her like this.

"We have to do something, _now!_" She told the others. "Now that we're alone with her we need to take her with us!"

The other two nodded their heads and started to walk towards the small island. _Started_ being the key word, because they never quite arrived to their destiny.

The door opened roughly behind them before they could take more than three steps. There, in the entrance, Ser Osric stood clad in his armour, sword unsheathed at his right hand.

"I knew something was _off_." He said; his voice stern. "I simply _can't_ allow you to take this creature away, she's too dangerous. Step away, there's no need to do this with violence."

Nobody moved.

"Fair enough. Guards! At arms!"

* * *

Killian raised his head to look at the setting sun. By this time those ninja people would be already inside the castle, if everything had gone right. He hoped it had, he definitely hated Osric with all his heart and soul.

He had called his _nephew_ a lowly thief and whore. He didn't care when people called him names, but he was a gypsy down to his core, and _nobody_ messed with his family.

Not even some veteran who had caught a supposed "Demon."

He grimaced at the slightest thought of the man, really. What sort of name was _Osric_ anyway? The sort of name of someone who wasn't loved by their parents, definitely. He smirked at his own thoughts, and then he saw it, a bright beacon of light against the increasing darkness.

Killian's face paled and he muttered a quick prayer- not that his faith was very strong actually. He believed in very few things, and most of them were completely earthly things. He believed in money, for starters. He believed in the arts, of course.

It was running fast, and completely white- Killian had to shield his eyes from the glint- and shaped like some sort of big cat. A lion, probably, though he couldn't tell exactly...

Since it appeared to be wholly made of fire.

White flames erupted there where the creature set it big paws, and they burnt for some minutes without any smoke, before simply disappearing once again. The creature's muzzle was settled in a feral grimace, its teeth bared in what could only be described as the beginning of a roar.

It was headed towards Blackgate.

_White fire..._

And it seemed to have a will of its own.

Killian shrunk into the shadows. Blood was going to be spilled.

* * *

As soon as one guard was dealt with, three more appeared through the door to replace the fallen one. They had gotten separated almost instantly as the fight had started, and Sakura was trying her best to both keep on fighting off her enemies and keep an eye on the others. The rest of the shinobi had been listening intently to the situation inside the castle, and had entered as soon as thing got bad.

Gai and Lee were fighting side by side what appeared to be the tougher-looking bunch of guards. Sai had found himself a spot to keep some distance from his enemies and fight them long-range- though he still had to use his sword from time to time. Yamato was doing an outstanding job with his wood release technique, trying at first to incapacitate the enemies without killing them, then giving up and just simply focusing on taking them down, however he could. Tenten was near Sai, using scroll after scroll to summon hordes of different variations of sharp weapons that cut through their enemies. Naruto had surrounding the small island Cheshire was on with dozens of shadow clones, sending a clear enough message to everyone who tried to get too near to the girl.

_They wouldn't get near her._

Sakura looked at her right and cursed; Neji had somehow being forced to fight single-handled Ser Osric. The Hyuuga was a genius alright, his technique incredibly powerful, and it was really difficult for anyone to beat in at close-range combat.

Osric was doing an amazing job at countering his attacks with his massive sword. And he had all the grace of a feline.

They were holding alright, but if the scene kept going like this, unless something terribly radical happened- _no_, she did _not_ wanted to imagine what could happen if the thing inside Naruto got out of control _again_- their futures looked rather grim.

And Cheshire there remained, in an almost catatonic state, her eyes downwards, sitting on her small island, oblivious to the chaos around her. Perhaps it was for the best, though. Perhaps seeing the blood running around her- for _her_ cause- would do no better to the delicate state of her mind. Perhaps-

A sound rose from all that chaos, a sharp, cold sound that pierced their ears.

Laughter. It was tiny at first, like a strangled chuckle. It grew and grew and became a full-grown laughter, and it was unnerving and maddening, and simply _wrong_. It didn't sound entirely human.

Cheshire.

Motions stopped in mid air, attacks were never quite performed. Everybody's eyes turned to the girl in the small island, tangled in coloured silks, her eyes wide and slightly unfocused, as if she didn't know what to look at exactly. She was clutching her sides and trembling as she laughed again and again and again...

It was a terrifying sound. As sharp as a knife and cold as ice. She ignored the screams directed at her; _'Cheshire!', 'Are you okay?!' 'Well she's quite weird isn't she? And I believe she looks like my drawing after all...'_

Her body finally stopped trembling and she looked straight at Ser Osric, that inhuman, insane, over-stretched grin plastered at her face.

"Having a good time, seeing all the blood and chaos around you, ain't you, Demon?" He asked her.

She put a fist on her mouth and bit hard until her skin broke and bled to avoid from going into another fit of laughter. With her other hand, she grabbed at the silken strap around her wrist and tied it around her neck, tugged slightly, unwrapped it from her neck, and started all over again.

"You're so stupid." She muttered at the man from behind her fist. "Always have. This is all so silly! Look at you!" She giggled and took her hand out of her mouth. "You never understood it! Not even now!"

There people in the room slightly shifted, her state was making them wonder many things...

"I don't believe you're in position to insult me, Demon."

"Demon!" She cried. "_DEMON!_" And she laughed yet again with that horrible sound. "See?! You know nothing! I'm not the threat you think I am, you blind fool! What you really need to be afraid of... Who you really need to be afraid of..." Her body was shook by some slight tremors. "He's far more powerful than I... Can't you hear it?! CAN'T YOU HEAR IT?!"

"Speak clearly, creature! Hear what?!"

"...The drumsss..." She slurred. "The war drums... It's coming now. Around the corner. Your clock is ticking, Ser Blind! Your clock is ticking and it will stop any minute from now!" She rubbed at her face, her grin still in place. "The drums! He's far more powerful than me! He doesn't like people to hurt me... even if he's away... even if he's busy... but that's what family's for after all..."

"What are you babbling about?!"

"Hush! It's here now! Listen! Around the corner..." Her smile stretched even more. "Your death. Around the corner. I can see it. I can see it! Blood will be spilt on these floors! And it will be yours, Ser Blind, because you couldn't see!" She shook with another fit of maniac laughter. "You couldn't see! And sealed your fate! ...Blood. You will die now, and it won't be my doing. You will die _now_..." She trailed off.

Her vision unfocused again and she looked down, once again appearing to be oblivious of everything around her, retreating to some dark corner of her broken mind. She wasn't there anymore...

But another thing was.

They all felt the eerie silence first... the rest of the castle was completely silent. The temperature dropped a considerable amount of degrees.

And there a mighty roar that paralysed them all. Enemies looked each other in the eye, a spontaneous truce being created in that second; as if they had forgotten they were supposed to be killing each other.

What had _that_ been?

The answer came soon enough through the door; all white and furious and enveloped in flames. Its eyes set firmly on Ser Osric, its thirst of blood could be _smelt _in the air. It looked like some sort of lion made of fire itself, with a mind of its own.

"Take that thing down!" Ser Osric cried to his men.

Man after man fell trying to kill the creature- fire enveloped they all, fire that couldn't be put off, granting them an almost instant death. It couldn't be touched, it couldn't be killed...

The rest of the men simply scattered away, running in fear, screaming about Demons and black magic.

Ser Osric pointed at it with his sword, ready to start a fight. The creature simply sneered and groaned, and leapt in the air at him, pinning him down with its fire claws; it was apparently not bothered at all by the sword on its chest, it did not bleed, it did not flinch.

Ser Osric screamed. The lion roared louder.

Then it bit his head of.

Sakura had to look away from the crude bloodshed, she focused instead on Naruto, who had crossed the small pond and was cutting off Cheshire's bindings. She followed him, and stopped him from shaking the girl in a rather rude way.

"Naruto, stop it! She's not responding, you'll only hurt her that way!"

"But something's wrong with her!" He had that frantic, half-desperate look in his eyes. "Do something Sakura, you know medical jutsus!"

"I'd do something if you let me, you stupid! Now let me take a look at her..."

She put her hands on both Cheshire's shoulders and scanned her for any injury.

"It's weird... she's not hurt, apart from her hand, and she did that herself... But she still doesn't seem able to get out of this... _state_."

Naruto cursed.

Sakura ran a hand through her hair.

"We should take her back to the village." She told him. "Tsunade may know what to do..."

He nodded and went to gather her in his arms, but a startled cry form Tenten made him look back.

The fire lion had finished with its prey- the body was burnt and half-eaten, completely unrecognisable- And was looking curiously at them now.

Yamato kneeled on the floor and held his hands up, showing the palms top the beast.

"We don't want to hurt her." He told the creature, in hopes it would understand. "You came here because of here, right? She said someone send you... It's okay, we're her _friends_."

The lion approached Yamato, its head low on the floor, almost ready to leap and attack again.

"We're her friends! We want to help her, we came for that reason! Can you understand me...?"

It stopped in front of him. Then sniffed at him. It appeared to approve something, because it simply nodding, and casting a long look at the girl, it simply disappeared, the flames bursting and dancing in the air before simply disappearing.

Probably to inform its master.

"Come on, we need to get out of here."

* * *

They had managed to get out of Blackgate in relatively little time- there was a lot of commotion with their leader dead to actually pay attention to them- and were finally on their way back. After some struggling, Naruto had finally released Cheshire's unmoving frame, and allowed Lee to carry her for a while.

"You lot are headed on the wrong direction."

Killian had fallen into step with them, all of them too tired or too distracted to notice him at first.

"I believe we know where we live." Neji answered.

"But you won't be able to help the lass there. You should go west, further into the forest, there you'll find help."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked him.

"There's a forest right next to this one, both are only separated by a river. On the other side... it's a dangerous place. Some call it the High Forest. Or the Forest of Whispers, or simply the Fade. Weird things happen there... Demons and other creatures roam that place, some are good, some- _ah_, I wouldn't wish them upon my worst enemy. But there's a man there who might help you."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man.

"And you know this because...?"

Killian shrugged.

"Because I might know the girl that your friend is carrying. I might have known her all along and hid that bit of information from you. And I might even like her a bit. She's got friends in there, and there is the only person able to help her. He knows... things. He's a bit of a loner, but has a soft spot for the lass. Trained her, if I'm not wrong. Go there." He casted a sort of sad look at Cheshire.

"Why should we trust you?" Neji asked.

"Because you have no other choice. If she keeps like this, she won't eat, or drink, and therefore, die. You don't seem like the sort of folk who'd want her to die..."

"West across the river, you say?" Gai asked Killian. He simply nodded. "Well let's go that way then! We need help for our fallen comrade!"

And he set the pace- a _too damn fast_ one.

* * *

**WOO. I think I died a little there. 7080 words. Three mugs of tea and two of coffee- the alst one cold and without suger- were spent on this monster. Tell me what you think!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Another epically long chapter! This one is longer than the one before! ...There won't be many more of these. They kill me.**

**Okay so I've told some of you this already, but for the rest to know... once this is over (don't worry, there's still a LONG way to go before I can finish this story) I'll most likely start a series of oneshots and drabbles about Chesh and this whole... thing. Just little fragments of nothings that just simply didn't fit in the main story, or things that would've been done differently (I can already see myself writing a Gaara/Chesh romance scene), and stuff. **

**And that's where you'll appear, since I'll need your dear readers to give me prompts about whatever you'd like for me to write in those things, any scene that can come to your mind, any doubt as for how Chesh would react upon a certain thing or meeting a certain character, or even if you want to see one of my original characters for this story getting a little bit more protagonism.**

**It's your call! (Since I doubt I have enough imagination to make all those little ****drabbles thingies). Anyway, I know it's too early for me to say that, buy you know, just think about some prompt that you'll want me to write later- LATER- on. **

**And a shout out to ****Hidden Depths of the Mind who drew Cheshire! Thank you so much, you're a dear! **

**(The drawing is in her gallery; kira-tsu dot deviantart dot com )**

**Oh, and I've uploaded another drawing to my own deviant gallery (mrswolffe). **

* * *

She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't drink. She wouldn't sleep.

She would just simply... _be_.

There, breathing slowly, any trace of that gleam her eyes had held before, _gone_.

Just like her.

It was awful, Sakura thought. How can someone end up like that? She had always known that Cheshire wasn't exactly normal, _obviously_. She had always known that the girl was a little unstable- mentally speaking, of course-, even if she was quite nice and calm.

Even if she was an excellent person to talk to, and sometimes, just _some_times, Cheshire was able to give some sensible enough advice- which she later on advised her _not_ to follow, since she thought her own judgement _might_ be a little bit blurry.

It wasn't, actually.

She actually made a lot of sense once you narrowed your eyes and changed all angles. It just took time to actually understand what she said; once you did, you realised that all those things that appeared to be nonsense at first glance, were actually logical thoughts that didn't have another way to escape her twisted brain.

_Some_ of them better said.

Some others were simply indeed nonsense.

But Sakura had developed the required acceptance to deal with those- _most_ of times. She still had a temper that flared easily, duh. Though she had to give it to Cheshire- that girl had something that calmed people down without many efforts.

Perhaps it was that she appeared to be always tranquil herself, never actually being surprised at anything. But that was nothing but obvious, since the girl had probably seen the weirdest things around, being one weird creature herself.

"_Expect just about anything, but get surprised at life's little thing every time!"_

Sakura had smiled at her words, and then shook her head at her antics.

Perhaps it was the way that she appeared to be almost ethereal, a ghost even. Pale and dressed in white and disappearing without noise. Or it could be the fact that she didn't care if you kicked her in the ribs, she would just smile at you- _that smile wasn't even human_- and shrug it off, and be generally gentle.

Though perhaps it was on the fact that she liked to _touch_ people. A pat on the shoulder, a hug, holding hands, arms brushing when walking... Sakura had seen her behave like that with many people, and she had seen her calm them down with those little feather-like touches, like one would calm a frightened horse.

But... she also had always known there was another side of the girl, something simply _darker_ than those smiles and riddles.

And many people described her _only_ as smiles and riddles.

Now they have learned that Cheshire was a twisted creature in fact- and it wasn't always a good thing, however amusing it seemed at times. There was some wretched part of her that was dangerous, perhaps even to herself.

She held many secrets- and secrets are kept for a reason-; she seemed at ease with shrugging off serious matters and stating it was not her business and she would _not_ meddle in between. Sakura knew the girl wouldn't even flinch if she was looking straight at two men killing each other because of some family quarrel, and she wouldn't even feel guilty. Sorry for them, perhaps, roll her eyes at their choice of actions, definitely. But she wouldn't feel sorry.

She didn't care about righting the wrongs of the world, apparently.

Sakura had yet to find _what_ she actually cared about, her motivations behind being... well, her.

And she had indeed committed bad things- not as if she was a saint herself, _everybody_ did bad things every now and then.

Just... not set a city filled with innocent people on fire. She shuddered at the thought of little skinny Cheshire with her smiles and secrets and tangled her simply creating that chaos and destruction and simply _death_.

It changed her perspective of the girl, certainly. She wanted to have a talk with her- perhaps in some whim to desperately hold into the belief that it had been some sort of misunderstanding, she hated to think as one of her friends as a cold-blooded killer. She wouldn't even want to think that of Ino, and everybody and their cousins _knew_ just how they could fight.

Damned Ino.

At any rate... she'd have to wait for that talking with Cheshire, since the girl...

She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't drink. She wouldn't sleep.

At least they were nearing the river they had set for. Perhaps half a day more?

She hoped so. If not, the girl would die- even for the most disciplined minds, bodies still had their limits.

* * *

There it was. The river.

The silver strap of liquid cut the earth in two, making a distinct frontier between the forest where they had been walking through, and another forest that frankly looked like the continuation from the first.

But it wasn't.

Not if you looked closely.

The trees appeared to be taller by general rule. Their barks were darker too. And there were a thousand little noises coming from inside, like creatures crawling to and fro everywhere.

It gave them a slightly bad feeling... But if there lived a man who supposedly could help Cheshire- who had supposedly trained her or something- then they would-

"I'd stop right there if I were you. Right at the other side it's the wolves' territory, and you might want to step away from it... unless you're trying to commit suicide. If you are, go ahead by all means."

Most of them felt like slapping themselves for not having noticed the man before- he had been so still it was easy to confuse him with part of the forest.

He had broad shoulders and auburn hair, dark eyes, and a neat- trimmed beard. He was wearing just some linen pants,, he had sun-kissed skin, and his feet were bare.

And he had been sitting on the floor, his eyes closed, palms facing upwards, just at the other side of the river they had been intending to cross.

It was exactly the same position Naruto had seen Cheshire meditate in many times before. The blonde looked at the girl- Now in Neji's arms- and then looked at the man, whose eyes were still closed.

Said man did not move.

They all shared a look between each other. Finally Gai took initiative.

"Listen, my good man, we're searching for a person who lives in this forest! We definitely need his aid to help our dearest comrade, fallen in battle! My gut tells me you're the one we're looking for!"

The man sighed, and opened his eyes. He scanned them, his eyebrows rising slightly upon seeing the unmoving girl in the expensive kimono.

He stood up and walked until his toes were in the water. He crossed his arms.

Then the saddest look passed through his eyes.

"Look at you, little Aisha... all frail and broken..." He muttered. "It's almost ironic... here's the same place I met you for the first time..."

He crossed the river, walking on water like any shinobi would. Then he finally addressed the rest.

"I suppose you will object towards simply handing her to me and going away, wouldn't you?" He didn't wait for any answer. "Follow me then. If you're going to enter the forest you may as well do it through the less dangerous part..."

He started walking without waiting to see if the other followed.

"Hey! We don't even know your name yet!" Naruto caught up with the man.

He glanced at him with a warm smile, but nevertheless kept on with his fast pace.

"My name is Santino, young one, but I'd rather wait until Aisha is better to make proper introductions..."

"_Aisha?_ You mean Chesh?"

Santino smiled knowingly.

"Perhaps. It's the name she chose for herself, but I believe Aisha suits her better... or suited her, maybe. Right now she doesn't seem to be grasping the essence of life well enough..."

"But you'll help her, right? And it's true that you're her sensei? Then... you're the one that gave her that scar, ain't you?!"

"Yes, yes, and yes. And I'd appreciate that you'd wait for us to sit before attacking me with all your unanswered questions."

Naruto felt silent at the tone- it was gentle, yet it had been a strict order. And for some reason, he found it nearly impossible to refuse his order.

Soon Sakura caught up too.

"Hey, wait! You said it was too dangerous to enter the forest here... why?" She asked.

"The place is basically divided into three territories- _four_, if you count where I live in. Again, I'll explain further once we're settled, but know that that place it's owned by a Demon wolf with a very foul character. I have an agreement with the wolves, and so does Aisha... sort of. But she'd kill you at the moment you set feet on her territory. The creature is rather violent and angry..."

* * *

After two kilometres or so, Santino guided them into the forest- _finally_. They walked about an hour in silence, until the trees faded into a big clearing. In the clearing was a small cabin of sorts, a small well, and lots and lots of soft grass.

He signalled Neji to put Cheshire on some furs that had been set there, near some wood designated to a bonfire. Santino sat on the grass, near the girl, and motioned the rest to do the same.

He stared at her, silent, for a few seconds. Then he raised his gaze simply _stared_ at them for a long time. Finally, he sighed. And then he spoke.

"I believe you come from very far, yes? From one of the five Great Ninja Villages. The one in the Fire Country, maybe?"

"How do you know that?" Neji asked, narrowing his eyes.

Santino smiled at him, and chuckled.

"I'm supposed to _know_ things, young man. That's my job."

* * *

"What happened to her?!"

The huge old bear had come trotting from the woods, a frantic look on his face, his teeth bared in a grimace.

"Ah, Okku, I was wondering when you'd show up..." Santino drawled, while writing something on a piece of paper, ignoring the rest of the people for the moment. "Ser Osric happened."

The bear let out a roar and stomped his front paw on the ground.

"Where is he now?! I'll rip his arms apart and set his head on fire!" Then he looked at the shinobi sitting in front of Santino. "_Thou!_ Tis thy fault! Had she not been with thou in the first place, tis all would not have happened!" He breathed, agitated, over Naruto's face.

The blonde put up his hands defensively.

"Woah, calm down! We're the ones who rescued her, alright?! Besides, that guy is dead already!"

The bear narrowed his eyes.

"Dead? Thou art sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure of that!" He blinked. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Okku sighed tiredly, and sat down heavily on the ground, his eyes on Cheshire.

"I live in this forest while my cub doesn't summon me. Part of this place is the territory of us bears." He replied in his gravel-like voice. Then he looked up at Santino. "Why thou art doing nothing?"

"I am writing, brother bear."

"To help the girl."

"Aisha?"

"Yes."

"Your cub?"

"My cub."

"I am writing to help her, brother bear."

"Explain."

"In due time."

The bear snorted but said nothing. Nobody else said anything for a while. It was evident where Cheshire had picked up the ability to ignore people around her- or at least, pretend to do so.

* * *

It is of common knowledge to anyone interested into history and folklore that Wanderers were, in fact, real. They were real people who travelled the land offering their services, weather they were scribes or singers, mercenaries or storytellers. The only thing they asked in return was some kindness offered for a stranger without a home.

They had many secrets, and they were well-versed into the ninja arts. Probably the wisest of people, they refused to take part into any political dispute- never had, never would. They followed their own philosophy, their own path of balance and quietness.

Wanderers could talk to Demons and make it out without losing their mind; they could submit a wild beast to their will through a gentle stare and quiet words. And they had their own way to recognise another brother Wanderer. _Were_, is the keyword.

They disappeared a long time ago, along with the Last Nation, when people started to chase them, wanting their secrets, wanting their aid and loyalty, all to fight against other people- all for _power_. Many of them were caught, and sentenced to death when they wouldn't help. They accepted so, they regarded death as a natural part of life; those who receive death with open arms as if it was a old friend have nothing to fear from this life. The rest simply disappeared in silence, getting away from all that chaos and madness, waiting for the day when they would be able to roam free once again.

Wanderers weren't a nation. They were simply people. To become one of them, one would simply seek to learn from them, one would need to be able to renounce to their identity, one would need to swear to never reveal anything, to live according their laws and customs, to search for the balance in their time at this Earth. It didn't matter where one came from.

Not many made it as Wanderers though, since it was hard to find one who would agree to actually teach anything. It required a special sort of pupil, and a special sort of teacher. And the teacher would only take one- and only _one_- pupil under his wing.

It is of common knowledge too, that Wanderers were the original masters of plants and herbs, a logical fact, since they spent most of their time in nature, trying to understand it and communicate with it. Rumour has it they were the ones who taught gypsies their herbal abilities, and that it was them who served as an inspiration for the modern medic ninjas.

These are only rumours, of course. But every rumour holds some truth.

With this in mind, picture that Santino was one of the last Wanderers alive. That's why he preferred to be at peace in the High Forest- an ancient place full of secrets, a place that had been a safe haven for his brothers and sisters when they had to lick their wounds and meditate about their life.

The man had ordered the others to rest and kill time however they preferred- with a very strict warning of not drift away from his clearing, since the High Forest held extreme dangers between its roots- while he prepared everything, inside his small wooden house.

There was a knock on the door.

Naruto entered the place.

He glanced around at the one-room place, there was a fireplace on the corner, two hammocks that hanged from the roof, a nice, big table with three chairs, and a small bookcase stocked up with books and scrolls. And a thousand little trinkets and small thingies that he had no idea what their purpose could be.

He looked at Santino. He was sitting at the table, a small wooden cup in his hand, and he was mixing some plants and fine powder into some sort of clear liquid inside. The man didn't look at him, instead, he carefully put a finger on the next item that figured on the paper in front of him, and threw some red-coloured leaves inside the cup, with a nod of his head.

Well... he didn't scream for the blonde to get out, and if he had been the one who taught Cheshire, then he would take it as an unspoken invitation for him to sit down. If he ignored him, well enough, he could see himself out without any help.

So Naruto took the chair in front of the man, and he waited for him to acknowledge his presence in one way or another.

"She wasn't always like that, you know?" Santino said suddenly, his eyes always firmly set on the wooden cup.

"Huh?"

"Aisha- _Cheshire_. I didn't know her before the first time she was caught... But she wasn't always as she is now. She was a sweet kid, bright and wild as ever, but... She wasn't broken. She wasn't afraid of letting people too close. Her mind wasn't shattered... she knew who she was."

"Ah... I see..." He didn't know what to say at that. He had presumed so, yes, but still...

It was easier to think that Cheshire had always been like that, instead of thinking that she had so much stress on her mind until it stretched and stretched and finally something snapped.

"I met her when she was around six, probably. Little pathetic sorry thing, the girl was covered in blood and afraid. She wouldn't listen; she wouldn't see... she just wanted to cause as much pain as she was feeling. That's why I gave her the scar on her face, so that she would simply _stop_ and think for a moment instead of behaving like a senseless beast. It was a harsh lesson, but it was to teach her humility. She was far too proud."

Ah, so _that_ was the whole story behind her scar! Or something like that. Still, the notion of Cheshire being proud seemed rather weird to him, and for a sensei to retort to physical punishment on a _six-year-old girl _seemed a little bit more than just 'harsh'.

"She attacked me, actually. When she first saw me, I mean. It was in the exact same place where you found me... I had been meditating for most part of the day, when she ran into me. Imagine it, a little girl, wounded and too thin for her own good, covered in blood- not only her own- with enormous eyes that tried to look at everything at the same time... It was quite the unique view. And she was crying, though I doubt she had realised that herself. And she felt cornered and lost and wasn't quite herself, so she attacked. Well, I don't think she actually wanted to attack me; it's more likely that she simply didn't stop the attack... She's got an amazing kekkei genkai, you know? Her fire is not quite dead. Sometimes, it's got a mind of its own..."

Naruto nodded, he had realised there was something odd with her fire.

"I managed to put it off and calm her down after a while. And she looked at me, kneeling on the floor, half her face dripping red blood that mixed with salty tears, and a haunted look in her eyes... And she spoke to me. You know what she said?"

"What?"

"_Don't follow shiny birds. They'll make you lost_."

Naruto blinked. Shiny...?

Hadn't she told him a story about some sort of bird made of gold? It was some sort of code, or had the girl simply spoken nonsense in her fragile state. He opened his mouth. Then closed it.

Santino chuckled at his loss of words.

"That was the same reaction I had!" He told him. "I was in front of this sorry twisted creature, so unstable that she was dangerous, her life was in my hands- and she offers some advice to me! She's got her own way of saying things... She can speak a lot of words without saying actually anything. However, in two short sentences, she told me her whole story... you just need to squint your eyes and turn the picture upside down to get the meaning of her words."

"And what was her whole story?" Naruto couldn't help but ask. He was so very curious.

Santino sighed with a knowing smile, and closed his eyes, stopping his motions for a moment. He opened them once again and continued with the next ingredient.

"That's not my story to tell. She might tell you, someday..."

Now it was Naruto's turn to sigh. It figured, anyway. He smirked at how similar were Cheshire's mannerisms with this man's.

"Anyway, after hearing her words" He shrugged. "I simply couldn't help myself. I took her with me and fixed her wounds- the ones that were fixable, at least- and offered her time to pull herself together. And then I simply couldn't let the broken thing wander around aimlessly without a direction and her chaotic mind messing with both herself and the ones around her. So I decided to train her. And I did, until she decided that it was time for her to change sceneries- I feel that need myself after some time too- and I let her go away to find her own path. To rediscover her own name and whatnot. That's pretty much it."

"What are you doing anyway? What's that for?" The blonde asked Santino after a while.

"The human mind is amazing. It can twist and bend upon itself, it allows you to submerge into some sort of madness or another, or make you forget things, if the pain it's too much. For Aisha, it was. Fear and pain made her the creature she's now... She trapped herself inside her own mind to escape from the world. And I'm afraid she locked the door and lost the key... She can't get out now." He simply said "She can't awake on her own. I'm brewing an infusion to help her, or, best said, to help you help her."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"I'm saying that the problem Aisha's got is in her head, in her mind. She trapped herself there and can't get out. So one of you needs to get _inside_ and do... well, I'm not sure what, but everything in due time, right?"

"What do you mean inside? As in... Chesh's head? Is that even _possible?_" He was sceptical.

Santino folded his arms across his chest, and looked at him directly, his eyes gleaming. It was the same look Cheshire gave him when she knew something he didn't.

Naruto shook his head; he _really _needed to stop comparing this man to Chesh.

"It _is_ possible. Wanderer secret. Something boring that has to do with how the chakra network flows and a lot of complicated things… And some others less complicated but still as secret. Do you believe me?"

Naruto thought for a second. Well… Sasuke _had_ somehow managed to get inside his mind or wherever it was that the Kyubi was sealed…

"Yeah, I believe you." He grinned an honest grin.

Santino stood up and turned around; he searched with his eyes for something on one of the shelves in the room. He finally took a jar with some golden powder inside. Naruto took notice of the tattoo in the man's bare back; on his right shoulder blade, a small, black, swirly tree… It had no leaves, but a lot of branches…

He blinked, Santino was back once again, and had threw a handful of the powder into the cup.

"Hey, doesn't Chesh have the same tattoo?" Naruto asked the man.

Santino looked at him, an amused half-smile gracing his lips.

"Does she?" He stared at Naruto, stared _through _him for a while, asking silent questions. The answers he found satisfied him and his smile grew bigger, before he turned once again to the infusion he was preparing. "Of course she does, I was the one who gave her the tattoo." He explained.

"What does it means?"

"It's a statement."

"She said something like that, I think…"

"I don't doubt it. Did she explain any further?"

"No."

"Ah, she learnt right then."

"Ah…"

Naruto shuffled uncomfortable for a while. Santino simply chuckled at him.

"Ask fewer questions and you'll have more answers." He told him. "That's important when dealing with Aisha. And this tattoo means she'll be loyal to this place until she dies, that's the statement she made; that's the statement I made too."

"Why don't you wear the symbol on your clothes or a headband? Why a _tattoo_?" It just seemed a little bit… extreme for him.

"Because it's a bigger statement when it's marked on the skin."

"That's why she's got the other tattoo too? The little flame?"

"Yeah."

"You did that too?"

"No."

Naruto sighed. Okay, so he was used to these loops that took the conversation to nowhere, but it still made him grumpy.

Santino suddenly smiled, and threw the contents of the wooden cup to a metal one. Then he walked up to the fireplace and lit it. He put the small metal cup close enough to the fire so it would heat up, but farther enough so that the metal wouldn't melt.

"You're the one that's going to help Aisha."

The blonde blinked once. Twice. Thrice.

"Huh? Why me?"

"Because you're the one that's closest to her from all of you. Not counting me or old Okku, obviously."

"What makes you say that?"

"The fact that you entered here is proof enough. And you sort of know how to talk to me, which means that you sort of know how to talk to her too. And you've seen her tattoo."

"Oh… And with this Cheshire will be fine?" He asked. Santino sighed.

The man turned around and grabbed a clay statue of a bear he had on the table.

"Look at this, Naruto."

And- ignoring the fact that he didn't actually remember having told the man his name- he watched as he let the statue fall to the ground. It shattered and broke into pieces, making him flinch.

"Woah! Why did you do that?"

"Grab the pieces." Santino simply instructed.

He did as told, and gathered all the pieces into his arms. He put them on the table.

"Now, if I asked to glue it together once again, would it look like before?"

Naruto blinked.

"Well, no, of course not! The cracks would still show... And some pieces broke into pieces that are too small to be glued, or that got lost..."

Santino grimaced.

"Exactly." He said. "That's what happened to Aisha's mind. Even if she gets better, the cracks will still show, and some pieces will be missing. But she'll be better than when you met her, I hope...Now, all I need are some drops of her blood and it is done."

* * *

The plan was simple in appearance, really. Naruto would drink the whatever-it-had and that would make him able to help Chesh in some way. It was all very vague, but they had grown used to vagueness.

Santino and the others- bear included- would wait and see. The Wanderer had said he couldn't go himself because he needed to keep an eye on both of them in case something wrong happened, and Okku was simply too important to the forest to go- again, in case of something wrong happened.

Apparently, a lot of things could go wrong.

Naruto drew a resolved breath and drank the infusion.

He started to feel incredibly dizzy instantly, and his vision blurred. His eyelids were too heavy... he closed his eyes...

Lee caught him before he collapsed with the floor, and gently- or not so much- laid him down on the ground.

* * *

It was dark. Like a thick blanket of darkness or something, he couldn't describe it any better. It was as if the wind itself was dark and heavy. There was no ground under his feet, no sky above his head; just some infinite darkness.

Was this what was like Cheshire's mind?

He blinked. He started to walk, his guard up, and an eerie feeling tingling down his spine.

There were voices, fragments of whispers and murmurs. Perhaps a joke or two. He couldn't make out the words; he didn't know the voices. He just kept walking.

Naruto was sure he felt something brush his legs, something sleek and fast. He looked down. He saw nothing. He just kept walking- faster now.

The atmosphere suddenly changed, instead of that endless darkness, he was in a hall of mirrors now. Most of them were broken, or simply cracked. Some were tall, some small, all of them had a layer of dust. And a pair of yellow eyes reflected on their surfaces. He approached the nearest mirror; he touched its dusty surface...

The eyes blinked.

He heard a voice in his head.

"_Out. You're not welcomed here. Nobody's welcomed here, this God-forsaken place."_

The eyes blinked again, and Naruto swore. He looked back; he found he was completely lost in between the mirrors. He didn't remember where the exit was- _was there an exit?_- and the eyes kept on blinking at him, waiting for him to do something.

Those eyes...

He punched a mirror, right where the eyes were, in a desperate attempt to make them go away. The mirror shattered- all of them did- and they faded away. It was simply darkness once again. He just kept walking.

The scenery changed for a second time, now he could see grass and leaves underneath his feet, and tall trees above his head. It was still dark; incredibly so, and the sky was completely black, without a moon or stars. It looked a darker replica of the forest they actually were, Naruto could have sworn that some of the trees looked exactly the same.

Hadn't Santino said that she locked herself inside her mind to escape from all that stress and pain? Was this forest the place she felt safest, and so she created it inside her own mind?

Perhaps...

There were still a lot of things he had to learn about Cheshire.

He felt like he was being observed, and suppressed a shiver. The voice echoed once again inside his head.

"_Get out, boy! There's only madness and despair in here!"_

He just kept walking.

He felt something moan ahead of him, and soon enough the forest gave place to a pond with black, still waters. There was an island in the middle of the pond- it was not unlike the room Cheshire had been at Osric's place, except this had an air of fairy-tale and generic doom. In the island, there was a greying wolf.

It looked too skinny, its ribs marking against its fur. And it was chained, a thick metal chain bound it to the ground, a metal collar around its neck. It was laying on the ground, moaning and groaning every once in a while, its eyes closed, its breathing shallow.

It looked defeated.

Naruto looked at it for some moments. Then, following some unknown deep impulse, he waded into the pond- it wasn't as deep as he expected at first- and started to make his way towards the sleeping animal. He was halfway getting there, when the wolf sighed a heavy sighed and stretched, raising its head from the ground.

Those eyes...

Yellow. Haunting. Tired. _Hungry_.

It spoke to him then; it was the same voice he had heard before- now he identified it as a female voice. It resembled Cheshire's voice- he thought it was hers at first- but at the same time, it was just _different_.

"_Why must you insist on venturing further, you insufferable creature? I do not particularly want anyone to see me in such degrading conditions..."_

Naruto noticed the wolf- now identified as a female animal- didn't have to open her mouth to speak. Then again, they weren't in the physical world, so that fact didn't surprise him that much. The eyes however... the eyes were what made him stop, still waist-deep into the pond.

He shifted under that unnerving gaze; vaguely realising he was getting the same shivers he got when Cheshire smiled at him.

"_Leave. I don't feel like putting up with you right now."_

Naruto gathered up his courage; leave? Yeah right. He didn't know who this wolf was, but she wouldn't stop him from helping Cheshire, wherever she was.

He took another step forward. And another. And several others until he was finally in firm land, his pants dripping wet. He still kept a good distance from the wolf.

"_I could kill you, you know. I could snap your neck in half if I wanted to. I'm starving."_

"Who are you?" He asked.

The question had been bothering him since a while ago, why was a wolf- chained and skinny and looking miserable- inside Cheshire?

The wolf sat up, and cocked her head to the side.

"_I'm a part of the girl you're looking for. The best part, the part that got chained a long time ago. I'm her pride and will and fire. And a good part of her conscience, if I must add."_

Naruto blinked.

"You're Cheshire?" He asked, disbelieving.

"_I'm a _part_ of her, listen right when you listen."_

"But... why are you here? And why chained? And why are you a- well, a wolf?"

"_You ask far too many questions... I'm here because I have been chained, I'm chained because a man thought she- I- _we_ were far too dangerous to be fully aware. As for why am I a wolf... Beats me, really. I suppose I'm just the physical representation of things you cannot see."_

"Do you have a name or something?"

"_No. You could call me Cheshire, if you want, since I'm very well a fragment of her. Oh dear Lord, I'm _hungry_... I'm tired!" _She exclaimed without a voice.

"Where... Where is the rest of Cheshire?" Naruto asked her.

"_I don't know. She's further away, I guess, deeper into the darkness, perhaps she's chained too. But you won't be able to reach her, so don't even think about it."_

"Huh?! Why?!"

"_Sheesh, calm down, you fool. She buried herself so deep; she created walls so high that nothing stranger to her own self can reach her. You can't get to her."_

Naruto cursed out loud. If this thing- this part of Cheshire- was right, he couldn't do anything. He wasn't about to accept that!

Well...

In a sudden light of clarity, an idea entered his mind.

"You! You _can_ get to her! You are a part of her, right?" He smiled at his own brilliance.

Can wolves roll their eyes? Because he was sure this one did so.

"_Are you blind? Don't you see I'm trapped here? If I could set me free, I would have done it years ago, half-wit! But I can't, alas, I won't."_

He felt some fluttering around, and a mocking laugh or two.

"_Ugh, annoying little things those things are. If I could, I'd chase them down and expulse every single them from this place."_

Naruto remembered he had felt something brush his leg before, and he tried to look around and see what the things were- he couldn't. It was far too dark.

"What are those things?" He asked the wolf.

"_You don't want to know._" She yawned. _"Now get out, I can't help you, you can't help her... Leave and let be miserable on my own, please..."_

Oh, no. He wouldn't!

What if...?

"What if I freed you? You could help her- you- whatever, I don't really get what you are to Cheshire exactly...- and you could chase those things off all you wanted! It's so simple!"

The wolf snickered.

"_It is, isn't it? But I don't think you can. I've been here for ages... I don't think I want you to possibly make my torture worse."_

"Come on! Let me help you!" He grinned. "I'm pretty sure I can destroy that collar!"

"_Are you, now? How so?"_ She was mocking him now.

He didn't appear to have realised so.

"Watch carefully, because you're seeing Naruto Uzumaki now!" He smirked confidently. "And if I'm going to be the next Hokage, then I'll be able to help a friend in need! Believe it!"

He walked forward and finally got to the animal- despite her protests of _leave me alone, dammit, you're annoying!_- and he grabbed her collar with his hands. He tried to break it.

Nothing.

"_I told you you couldn't-!"_

"I'M NOT FINISHED YET!"

He took a kunai out of his pocket and tried again- he didn't even made a dent in the collar.

"_WATCH OUT WITH THAT SHARP THING!"_ The wolf tried to shook him off. _"YOU'RE GOING TO HURT ME, FOOL!"_

"SHUT UP AND STAND STILL!"

The wolf was getting on his nerves. Couldn't she see that he was trying to help her?! Pfft, and she was a part of Cheshire? Cheshire certainly wasn't so damn hard to deal with! ...She _did_ said she was her pride though, so that would make sense...

...Sort of

But Naruto was growing tired of the squirming animal yelling nonsense at him, he had to break the collar and fast! He let go of the animal for a second and stepped away, just long enough so that he could create a shadow clone. He looked at himself- he had grown used to looking at his own face so much after using his shadow clones- and nodded.

He gathered the chakra on his hand, while the clone proceeded to twirl it and shape it. He breathed deeply. This was it.

"_What are you doing with that thing...? Why are you-? No, NO! Get off!"_

But he had managed to finish his Rasengan, and now his clone was holding the animal still- as still as he could- and Naruto was approaching it once again, the ball of wind and chakra dangerously twirling in his hand...

With a cry, he let it collide with the metal collar. It hurt him. It was like flames were eating his hand, his arm... his whole body...

He wanted to get his hand away, just like when you burn yourself with the stove.

He didn't. He held his hand in place. There was a loud '_crack!'_

He suddenly found himself on the ground, a burnt in his hand, and a paw on his chest, the whole weight of the wolf- it wasn't that heavy, actually- pushing him down.

"_You burnt my fur! I don't know what you did, but you burnt my fur!"_ She snarled dangerously. _"When I'm done with you, you're going to wish that you never-"_

"Sheesh, calm down! ...Drama queen... I just broke the damn thing off, don't you see!"

"_What are you-"She_ looked down. The fragments of the metal collar were on the floor, shattered into a million pieces.

She could feel the cold air around the tender flesh of her neck- the collar had made all of her fur in that area fall. And now she had another area of it burnt and charred, thanks to this blonde boy.

"_I'm... free...?"_

She stepped out of Naruto, and allowed him to get up. Her eyes were unfocused; her body was trembling with anticipation.

"_I'm... I'm free!" _She smiled a toothy grin- that is, if wolves can actually smile; and she looked at Naruto.

Her yellow eyes seemed less haunting, less harsh and desperate. Perhaps a little bit more hopeful.

"Yeah, you bet you are!" He brushed the dust off his hair. "No need to thank me!"

She chuckled.

"_I wasn't going to"_ Her tone was playful. _"Now... Out with you! You've done enough already! I'm going to hunt those little pesters and eat them! I'm free! Finally!"_ She let a loud, joyful howl escape her mouth. She looked at Naruto once again. _"What? You still here? Get out already! Go!"_

And he felt the darkness envelop him and knock the air out of his lungs. He felt dizzy, his vision blurred.

He closed his eyes.

* * *

She opened her eyes.

She was breathing hard, her entire body hurt. Her vision was blurry, she felt dizzy.

She blinked several times, trying to gather her surroundings. She knew she was laying on something soft- _fur? _- and the smell of trees and grass. The light was too much; she closed her eyes and furrowed her brow.

She heard voices, distant voices –or were they actually really close? - calling her name, asking if she was okay...

Was she okay?

A voice rose above the rest, calm, warm, a voice she knew and loved...

"How are you feeling, Aisha?"

"_Dizzy_." She replied, honestly. "Give me a minute, sir, it'll go away in a moment or two... And shut up the rest of you! I'm tired, not deaf, sheesh!"

Her voice was hoarse and rough for not having said anything in a long time. She coughed.

Cheshire took a moment to assess the damages; her head was pounding, she was thirsty, her lower back itched... Nothing seemed broken though. Which was good, _obviously_. But she felt something was _off_, and she didn't know what. There was a strange tingling going all over her body, she hadn't felt like that since...

_No._

It just wasn't possible. But what other explanation could there be for her feeling just so...

So _good_.

Almost as if...

As if...

She took in a sharp breath and sat up suddenly.

Woah, okay, _bad_ idea little Chesh, you should have waited a little bit longer. She grabbed onto the first thing she could- Neji's sleeve- to avoid falling backwards once again. She exhaled a shaky breath and closed her eyes. She opened them once again.

"What... What did you do to me?" She asked Santino, looking at him in the eye.

The man smiled slowly, and put a gentle hand on her head.

"Why do you ask, Aisha? Do you feel anything weird?"

She looked at him with big eyes and a tentative smile.

"I... I feel _free_..." She almost-whispered. "Like... Like before everything happened! Like before the stupid golden eagle! I feel as if I can do anything! I- I _am_ free, am I not?"

Santino's smile grew wider, his eyes gleamed and he simply shrugged.

Cheshire's grin finally took over her face.

"I _am_ free! Dear Lord and Lady, I _am free!_ How the Hell did you do it?!" She was too happy to avoid her voice from getting strangely high-pitched.

"_I _did nothing, Aisha."

"Then who-?"

Santino jerked his head, indicating the girl- who had still an iron grip on Neji's shirt-to look behind her. She found Naruto's blue eyes towering over her, a wide grin on his face. His hand was enveloped in a bandage- Sakura or Santino would probably look into that later.

"Hey Chesh! Good to see that you're back!" He greeted her.

"You…?" She asked. Then she giggled. "You! You- just- ah! Come here, you wonderful blonde idiot!"

She couldn't help herself, really. She was just too happy, her whole body felt tingling, like a million tiny flames were running underneath her skin.

She couldn't help herself.

She simply stood up and lunged herself at him, wrapped her arms around his neck.

She couldn't help herself, really.

She kissed him on the mouth. _Hard_. Many times.

All the while muttering endless "thank you's". She had the vague notion that she was crying. She didn't care, actually. She kissed him once more, and this time he responded- shyly at first, he grew slightly more confident then-

Somebody coughed in the background. Cheshire let go of him and grinned. Her cheeks were stained with tears, she was pale, her hair tangled…

Naruto swore that deep in her eyes, behind those forest green panes that reflected the same forest they were now, there was a pair of yellow eyes.

And they were smiling.

He could almost swear he heard the voice in his head once again.

"_You set me free. Thank you."_

Cheshire looked around, still grinning. She looked into the eyes of all the people present, apparently not actually caring that she had been about to make out with Naruto right in front of them. She hadn't look much into that anyway, she was still far too deep into her bliss to actually think _anything_ of it.

She suddenly walked away from them.

She turned around and walked towards them once again.

She walked into a circle then. She ran her hand frantically through her dark hair, managing to tangle it even more. Sakura furrowed her brow and approached her.

"Is anything wrong, Chesh?" She asked.

"Wrong? Wrong, she says! Of course, somewhere is something wrong occurring right now for sure, but not here! I'm just- ah! I need to… Oh, I don't really know! I need to run and jump and scream or something!" She was actually jumping up and down.

"Woah, shouldn't you rest a little before all that?" Sakura smiled despite her own words. Her happiness was somewhat contagious.

"_Nay! _I can rest later! Like now I _need_ to get rid of all this energy! Oh, oh! I know! See you all later; I'll be back in a couple of hours!"

She actually hugged Sakura- fast and tight- before sprinting towards the darkness of the forest.

"Cub!" Okku called after her. "Where art thou headed off to?!"

"What d'ye think, Father Bear?!" She shouted back. "To pester Sanguini while I'm stupid enough to do so!"

And she disappeared behind a million leaves.

* * *

It was night-time, and Naruto was feeling slightly awkward. Ever since she had been 'awakened', Cheshire had simply run everywhere like a blur. She had come back from the forest with a bloodied lip and her kimono filled with dust- she was still smiling though- and had simply ignored Okku'd heavy sigh and his words of _'why thou keep going to the likes of her?'_, whatever that had meant. She had sprinted around everywhere, around everyone, like a small little sparrow. She had danced and sung and screamed really loud. She had gone into the forest several times and had come back out of it several others. She had said something of a lake and a waterfall and white wolves and she had asked Santino for a change of clothing since she didn't feel like wearing the fancy kimono was too comfortable and she had run off once again.

She still hadn't returned.

Okku had retrieved to his own part of the forest to sleep, and grumbled at them not to worry too much about the girl, she probably would sleep inside the forest or something. Unless she managed to get herself killed by some of the dangerous creatures that lurked in there, but that was highly unlikely.

They had settled down near the bonfire Santino had prepared for them before retiring inside his small house for the night, and all of the ninjas were fast asleep inside their sleeping bags now.

Everyone except Naruto.

He was feeling awkward now.

He was really happy that Cheshire was fine- really, he had missed her. As in, _a lot_. He had missed her smiles- as creepy as they were- and her weird way of talking and her stories and, well.

He simply had missed her a lot.

And she had kissed him. Which wasn't _that_ weird considering that it was her, after all. She _had_ kissed him before, and he had come to terms with the thought of it. It had been nothing, a chase kiss, completely innocent.

They way she had kissed him today though... That had been _far _from chaste and innocent.

It had been rough and breathless and she had kissed him with some deep passion and force he didn't know she had inside. Perhaps that's why he had responded her so eagerly, because she had kissed him as if he had been air and she had been suffocating before, as if she'd die if she stopped the kiss.

He hadn't felt anything like that in his life before. He briefly wondered if she had...

He supposed so. Chesh was no stranger to displays of affection of any kind. Naruto sighed. Of course, that hadn't been enough. She couldn't just have kissed him like a mad woman in private, no.

They had been surrounded by the others.

She hadn't had to suffer any teasing- it wasn't fair! - Since she had simply vanished into the woods! He, on the other hand...

Ugh.

He didn't even want to _think _about it.

Even _Okku_ had thrown his own colourful comments.

Naruto rubbed his face. Scratch the 'slightly', he was feeling _really_ awkward right now. He was sure he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so he stood up in silence. He remembered Santino telling them a thing or two about the forest's layout.

"_This place is divided in three areas, four, if you count my clearing. Right now we're in the friendliest part, the most neutral one. This place is a circle, right in the middle of the forest. Around it, the place divides into three territories; the bears', which can be safe enough for you to wander into, since you know Okku and he's the one who dictates the orders there- though it's still quite dangerous, so keep your eyes open and don't let your guard down. Then there is the wolves' territory, they're a pack of white wolves leaded by a wolf-Demon. Stay out of there, she vicious and tricky and simply loves violence and blood. Though no matter how many times she states the whole forest belongs to her, that's not true. And then... there the area we like to call the Shades. _Definitely_ stay out of there. There are weird things, things that live in chaos and will tempt you and lure you in and kill you before you eve realise. Or worse than kill you. The wolf Demon at least likes to keep things under her control- sort of. But the things on the Shades? Chaos and anarchy and complete doom. Don't go in there; unless you want to commit suicide; in that case, that's the first place you're going to need to go. You know, because of the generally obscure and dark and perilous things and impeding doom that awaits you there... The three territories are in constant dispute- this is probably the only safe haven for you, and even so don't wander too close to the tree-line-; they always try to win over the other two. Come to think about it, there are probably a dozen things that could kill you right now... Oh, well. I trust in both your abilities and the deals I made with the creatures in here. Goodnight."_

Naruto shook his head. If the man had been trying to scare them into staying put, then it had worked. But right now he needed to stretch his legs, so he looked around himself.

He had said the bears' part was the safest one, right...? And if he wasn't wrong... That was on the left.

Or was it the right?

No, no, the left! _Definitely_.

...Maybe.

He walked on that direction.

* * *

He was struck by the beauty of the place. In front of him was a huge lake, glinting in the moonlight, with a fast waterfall that feed it water.

And then there was Cheshire, wet and happy, standing hip-deep into the sparkling water, her arms crossed behind her head.

She had been reciting poetry.

Something that sounded old and that he hadn't ever heard of. He simply shrugged to himself and kept on staring at the place- and at the girl.

She had changed her clothes too. Now she was wearing a white sundress- where had she even got it anyway?- that had a low- _extremely _low- back, allowing most of her bare back to be seen. He could see her tattoo- it was an identical replica of the one Santino had- and some scars that crossed her pale skin. And he something on her lower back that irked his curiosity.

He stepped forward.

"Hey Chesh?"

The girl looked over her shoulder.

"Hmm? Oh, hello there. Can I help you with something?"

"I- what's that on your back? It looks painful..." He trailed off.

The girl grimaced, and walked back to where he was standing. Her sundress would have fluttered around her knees if it hadn't been dripping wet. She turned around in front of him, allowing him to take a better look at her back.

He gasped. There, her skin was burnt and the word _'trophy'_ could be read clearly.

"How did-?"

"Hot iron. Osric branded me like a prize stallion. I... don't want to talk about it, really."

He bit his lip and nodded- despite Cheshire not looking at him. Damned man, at least he wouldn't chase Chesh anymore.

"Does it hurt...?" He found himself asking her.

She sighed.

"Yes. Sometimes, not all the time though. It's funny, I've had this thing since I was around six, I believe... Yet sometimes it keeps stinging."

He couldn't help himself sometimes either.

He just _had_ to brush his fingers against her marred skin- he didn't know _why_¸ he just had to do it. So he just did it. And he watched in fascination how her skin trembled under his fingers; Cheshire shivered and jumped slightly. She hadn't been expecting that.

Nobody touched that scar.

He took his hand away instantly, almost ashamed.

"Sorry!" He said a bit too fast "Did I hurt you?"

"No" She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes oddly hooded. "I just... wasn't expecting that, I guess... But it felt nice, actually. Can you try doing it again... please?"

She trembled again at his feather-like touch and watched as she wrapped her arms around herself- was she trying to _hug _herself like she did with the others?- and her head fell forward over her chest. She sighed.

"You're warm..." She told him. "I like it. It soothes the sting a bit, heh, I'd never had guessed..."

He brushed his fingers against her again. Skin against skin, it was something so stupidly simple, yet still so powerful somehow...

"Why are you _always _so cold, Chesh...?"

"Because my blood is like liquid fire and it steals the heat from the rest of my body. Besides I need to be cold or I'd burn from inside out."

He half-smiled, not actually understanding what she meant. Instead he caressed her scar again.

"That doesn't make any sense." He said.

"It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not, it's still true..." She sighed again.

"Is it?"

"Yeah..."

The both fell silent. There was something in the air that made the time still; perhaps it was the fact that the place seemed almost magical, something out from myths. Perhaps it was what they both had been gone through in the last days; perhaps it was the fact that he had actually been into her mind, and not only managed to escape alive and sane, but also helped her along the way.

Whatever it was, something clicked for both of them in that silence. Skin against skin. The gentlest of touches. They simply enjoyed being in silence with each other.

Cheshire dared to glance at him over her shoulder; Naruto was staring at her. His eyes were intense- so intense; _too_ intense- that she felt scared.

She couldn't let him grow so attached to her.

It would only break him in the end.

She decided to end the silence. She turned around and put some space between the two- an odd thing to do, she who was so touchy-feely.

"You shouldn't be here, you know? It's quite dangerous. At least be happy that you stumbled with me and not with any of the other potential killers hidden in here."

He blinked.

"Huh? But I though Santino said that the bears' territory was safe enough if we had our guards up!"

Cheshire actually face-palmed.

"This ain't the bears' place. This is the _wolves'_. Naruto, there's a freaking _Demon_ that wanders through here, and had she found you first, you'd be dismembered already... "

He shivered.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, look on the bright side, my dear friend! You're with me and I know this place like that back of my hand! Let's get back before- _Damn._"

The girl looked around and grimaced. Then she looked at Naruto again.

"Stay close to me and don't say _a thing_, understood?" She instructed.

"Uh, sure, but what's-?"

A cold voice interrupted them.

"Why does it smell like _human_ so much in _my _forest...?" A huge wolf appeared from behind the trees, she had three pairs of paws and long ears that resembled thin horns. Her tail was nothing more than a short stump, as if it had been torn off by an enemy.

Naruto looked in both curiosity and concern at the creature's paws; every time she took a step, the paw print she left would be suddenly filled up with blood until the ground absorbed it. That was _definitely_ not normal.

"Hello Sanguini" Cheshire said, her voice sounded a little strained. "Taking a nightly stroll, friend?"

The wolf Demon snorted, and replied in her cruel voice.

"You and I are _not_ friends, _girl._ I'm amused by you enough to avoid killing you. And my wolves like you for some reason. But we're not friends." Her lips curved into a smirk.

"You sure it hasn't anything to do with my mother...?"

"Perhaps it does. Pester me on the subject any further today and I'll give you more than just a bloody lip."

Cheshire averted her gaze; she knew well enough when Sanguini meant her threats.

"And what do we have here?" The beast sneered. "Have you brought me some appetiser, child?" She looked at Naruto.

He gulped. The creature was terrifying.

"Sanguini, leave him alone, he hasn't done anything-"

"He is _invading_. You know well enough what I do with those."

"He's with _me_!"

"So? You have no voice in my domains, no right to say any rule, _your highness_!"

"Quit mocking me!"

"Or what? Will you set fire to this place like you have done to other places...?"

Cheshire looked down.

Naruto kept silent, he didn't dare to interfere on the exchange.

"You know what's the worst part of it, _lady_? It's not the fact that you killed _dozens _of innocents-"

"Stop, Sanguini!"

"Oh, no, it's the fact that it doesn't matter how hard you try-"

"Don't say what you're about to say!"

"You still don't feel guilty at all! Do you?"

"Just shut-"

"Do you?!"

"No! I don't feel guilty and I'd do it again if the occasion repeated! That's what you wanted to hear, Sanguini?!"

Cheshire covered her mouth as soon as the words escaped. She looked back at Naruto, with wide eyes, afraid of his reaction.

He was at a loss of words.

The wolf-like creature laughed, loud and cruel.

"And yet your bear keeps insisting that you're good! You and I, girl. We're more alike than what you think. You'll see one day."

"Are you done tormenting me?" Cheshire looked pissed off.

She was used to her tricky ways, to her urge to fight and hurt her. She could stand all of that, mainly because Sanguini knew many things and she was useful to Cheshire, also because she was hopeful that some day the creature would reveal to her her exact connection to her mother.

It would have been fine if they had been alone. They weren't. And that was a problem, because even if Cheshire didn't lie, she certainly didn't want to reveal some of her deepest, darkest thoughts.

Especially to someone as noble as him.

Sanguini- the smile still on her lips- approached the blonde, and sniffed the air around him. She narrowed her eyes.

"This one is a Jinchuuriki. I don't like them. But I respect them well enough; least a tailed beast is set free to compete for this forest. With the bears and petty Demons I have more than enough to deal with."

She turned around and left, leaving the both with a heavy tension around them.

"Uhm... should we leave now?" Naruto said after a while.

"Yeah... yes. We, ah, we definitely should go back, ahem. I- I..."

"You don't need to explain it right now if you don't want to, Chesh."

"You're amazing."

* * *

**10024 words. I'm dying here people. And I had to cut out some stuff and leave it to the next chapter.**


	37. Chapter 37

**So, I joined the Tumblr community. There I'll upload some sketches and doodles and things about my stories, reblog things I happen to like, and answer (or have my characters answer) whichever question or whatever you want to. Follow me there at **_**mscoldcoffee **_**if any of you is interested!**

**Oh, and if anyone gets where I got the title of my Tumblr page from, then I love you.**

* * *

She had asked for some days to rest in Santino's place before moving forward. Cheshire still needed to come to terms with herself, reorganise her chaotic mind, rethink her steps, reprogram her brain so that it grew used to being- _for the most part-_ whole, and some other "re" starting actions.

Such as recycling. Cheshire liked to recycle.

They managed to agree to her petition- of course, there were certain disagreements that were finally quieted by Santino's words-; it was sensible enough to rest for a couple of days before going back to Knoha. It _was _a long way back after all.

Cheshire had also agreed to answer most of their questions- _"If I think that they're interesting enough questions!"- _But it had to be done in one-on-one meetings.

Some answers are only meant to be heard by some people. Some others aren't meant to be heard at all.

_At all._

* * *

"Thank you." She was sitting on the soft grass, still in her white sundress, still barefoot and hair all tangled.

"It was nothing" Yamato replied. "I was asked by Lady Tsunade to be a part of this mission. I really hadn't seen you around at the village before, so I doubt I would've come if she hadn't asked."

Cheshire's lips split in a grin.

"But you _did_ come, and that's what counts, innit?" She let a small giggle escape her lips. "It's so funny!" She commented.

He blinked.

"What is?" Yamato asked her. First question.

"They way people don't see me, but I see them..." Cheshire looked up at a squirrel that was climbing a tree. "_I _have seen you before. I see things."

"How?" Second question.

"It's... easy. When you're small and quiet. The fact that I'm light and translucent sometimes helps." She grinned a cheeky grin.

He chuckled at her. He had heard a lot of things about the girl, he had heard about what she did, about how she preferred to leaver her personal affairs in the dark, about rumours and many other things.

Still, like this, she looked the every part of a short happy girl. He hadn't met her before, but he couldn't help but wonder if she was always this... _happy._

* * *

Truth be told, Cheshire wouldn't be using their days here just for resting and putting things on their right places, no. She was with her teacher now, with her sensei. And she would learn from him, whether she liked it or not.

Yes, he was patient, yes, he was gentle, and yes he was incredibly wise.

But he was also serious and stern on his teachings at times. Not as serious as her own father, but then again, he wasn't in charge of so many things. Santino usually tried _not _to be in charge of things. It was part of his neutrality policy.

And that's why now she was standing blindfolded on one of the thinnest branches she had ever seen, her hands tied on her back, still barefoot, at the wind's mercy. She had been doing this for the past hour and a half, and he had refused to let her eat anything until she was able to keep her balance almost perfectly.

"_You need to leaver your mind blank, Aisha" _He had told her. _"For there are many heavy things that ties us down to the ground. Your mind is particularly filled with heavy things. Forget them, for the time being, forget them and forget everything. Don't think with your mind, let your instincts take over and just... be there. Without falling."_

It was easier said than done, of course. At least it wasn't exactly easy for someone like Cheshire, someone whose mind just wouldn't stop buzzing and thinking and bending and stretching and remembering and-

A particularly strong air current hit her and made her loose her stability. She fell.

Santino caught her before she collided with the ground. She didn't have to use her eyes to know it was him. The girl sighed.

He sighed too.

"You know why this is important, Aisha?"

"No." She always spoke truth.

"Because there are certain parts of you that now are free. You have managed to balance who you were with those parts missing, and now you need to find your stability again. Get on the tree again."

She sighed once more.

* * *

He was staring at her. She was staring at him. It was a staring contest.

"Will you _truly _answer my questions?" Neji asked her.

She shrugged and smiled. He narrowed his eyes.

Even if they had somehow reached a certain silent agreement, he still had his guard up around her.

His stern silence kept on fighting with her _simple _silence.

"Is it true that you set that place on fire?"

Her smile faltered a little bit.

"Yes. It is."

He nodded slowly, his eyes never once straying from hers. The green panes of her face that hid so many things appeared clearer now.

"I see. Are you aware that innocent people were there too?"

"Yes."

"Were you aware of that at that moment?"

Pregnant pause. A clash of wills. Sometimes secrets are revealed in silences. It's one look all it takes.

Cheshire's lips twitched slightly, and she looked harder at him; her eyes wide and serious and filled with a thousand things that now could be seen easier without the thick blanket that had clouded them before. Somewhere inside that green place, a wolf smirked and howled.

"Yes." She pleaded her guilt.

* * *

She knew both Okku and Santino questioned her choice of wandering near Sanguini so much. The bear expressed out loud his distaste towards the Demon every chance he had, while the man simply made her a question or two about the subject every once in a while, but he never actually told her not to go with her.

She was free to choose whatever company she wanted.

Cheshire was lying in between the white wolves- she had grown to love and care for the pack- while running her fingers through their fur again and again. They weren't as bad as Sanguini; they trusted her, and never hurt her. In return she trusted them too, and swore to never harm them in any way.

Sanguini made her appearance, her heavy steps and ragged breathe being heard before she was actually seen. The Demon looked at the girl between _her _wolves and clicked her venomous tongue.

"Is it something that you want, girl?" She asked her.

Cheshire's eyes snapped to Sanguini's yellow ones. She wasn't particularly angry.

"Something like what?" Cheshire wondered.

The wolf-like creature lied down heavily, her front pair of paws crossed in front of her.

"A question. You usually come here with questions."

It was truth. Cheshire valued Sanguini's information.

"No, not now. I just wanted to be here for a while..."

"_Why?"_

Cheshire smiled at the Demon.

"No reason." The girl said.

Sanguini evaluated her, her lips slightly twitching in annoyance. She finally scoffed.

"Fair enough. But annoy me and you'll see what happens."

Cheshire knew that the creature did _not _make empty threats. She nodded carefully. It was a weird not-quite-alliance they had formed over the years. Somewhere, in a deep and dark place of her mind- the place that held her most rational thoughts- a voice told her that it might be good to strengthen that bond. Sanguini was fast, powerful, she knew things.

Perhaps somewhere in the future she could find a better use for the Demon.

After all, relaxing was good and all, but business was still business and it had to be dealt with before it was too late.

* * *

There are some things in the world that are rather strange. Most of those oh-so-called 'strange' things, also are dangerous, and more often than not, creepy.

There were many things like that in the forest.

Scratch that, there were many things like that in every corner of the world.

But nobody had seen anything creepier than a match of grins between Cheshire and Sai. They hadn't said anything in a long while; they were just sitting in front of each other, smiling. She had that huge grin that was plainly unnatural for any human being to wear. He had his own trademark smile that put the people on edge.

They kept on smiling at each other for the best part of an hour.

"It's like seeing yourself in a distorted mirror, isn't it?" It was her the one who had asked a question now. Cheshire liked a good change on the game every once in a while.

Sai smiled still.

"I don't see why we would be alike." He told her.

Her grin grew wider even.

"Ah." She said, and nothing more.

"You're weird. And that scar ruins your face." He wasn't known for sugar-coating _anything_.

"Ah." She said, and nothing more.

"Though I admit you're good at this..." Sai said.

"Ah." She said, and nothing more.

* * *

"Thou sure thou art well?"

Cheshire raised her head from the book she was reading. She smiled at the bear.

"Sure, I'm alright now, Father Bear."

The animal nodded gravely and laid down next to her. The girl burrowed against his thick fur.

"What thou reading, cub?"

"Oh, just some tale about a redhead guy who had some sort of arcane knowledge and a cloak made of shadows."

"Is it good?"

"_Really _good." She looked at the bear once again. "Are _you _okay? You don't look okay. You look like you're feeling guilty. You _smell _like you're feeling guilty. You shouldn't, it wasn't your fault."

He nodded and chuckled.

"Whereas it was or wasn't my fault it's not the point of the argument. Thou art my cub, I should have protected thou."

She rolled her eyes.

"You can't surely be there _all _the time for me. It's okay, Okku."

"Is _not_. I should have been there."

Cheshire sighed. Even if she loved her bear, she knew that it was really hard to make him change his mind about... Well, about anything.

If he had an opinion about something, then he would voice it, and he wouldn't reconsider.

Bloody bear.

She loved him.

* * *

"You seem tired, friend! Why is that?"

Cheshire blinked at Lee. She hadn't expected that question at all.

She loved unexpected questions the most.

"Ah, I just- Santino has been training me hard these days. I had sort of forgotten he could be this... Tough." She sighed. "I'm exhausted. I don't think I can walk another step..."

Lee's face lit up, and he grinned.

"But that's a good thing!" He pumped his fist in the air. "How would you progress if you don't push your limits?"

Cheshire giggled at him.

"That's actually quite the thought, Lee."

"Of course it is! Gai-sensei was the one who taught me so!"

"_Of course he did..." _She muttered under her breath.

The spandex-clad boy knelt down in front of her, his back facing her. She cocked her head to the side.

"Here! Climb onto my back!" He smiled. "If you're too tired to walk I can take you around, I'll carry you for two kilometres!"

"Umm, I don't think there's need for you to-"

"No! _Three _kilometres!"

"Really, Lee, I can-"

"No! _Six _kilometres! And then I'll do three hundred push-ups with a hand tied and you on my back!"

Cheshire shrugged.

She decided to just go along with it- some times, and just some times, it's better not to over-think and just go along with whatever direction the wind takes you. Besides, it could even be fun.

* * *

A young man with a white wolf mask walked in silence with resolved steps through the great hall, his footsteps making echo on the big room. He knocked on one of the side doors, and dutifully awaited for the command to enter the room.

"Sir? Did you want to see me?" He spoke, his back straight, his head slightly lowered.

"Take off your mask, Nori." Hinansho spoke from his chair, while petting a huge lion made of white flames.

The Commander did so, and his eyes travelled to the fire creature, an unasked question on his eyes.

"Talk. You have the permission to do so." The Koe said.

"Why have you summoned that, sir? Is something wrong?"

The leader shook his head and sighed.

"No, it ain't. But it was."

Nori furrowed his brow. "What...?" Then he widened his eyes, as realisation downed upon him. "_Rega."_

"Indeed. This Hunting Fire brought me news, news I want to share with you. Sit."

He did.

"She's fine, now; in the High Forest, I believe. She's safe... Well, as safe as she can be in a place like that." Nori grimaced. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I had a change of heart... You were right, boy. Perhaps it _is _too dangerous for her- and for all our culture- to allow my daughter to be... gallivanting out there, somewhere, alone. I won't drag her here, of course, but I believe you had a proposition about the subject, hmm?"

The guy crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you saying that you're going to send me to keep an eye on her, sir?"

"I might do so... But I want her to come by first, to personally check on her."

"Are you confident she'll come around soon?" Nori arched an eyebrow.

"Ah, I've got a feeling she will."

Both fell in silence for a couple of minutes.

"What did exactly happen to her, sir?"

Hinansho sighed and drummed his fingers on his desk. Then he stole a glance at the flaming feline next to him. Then he opened his mouth.

"It's a long story, Nori... Let me start at the beginning..."

* * *

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"It depends, can you, Tenten?"

"Your sword. It's lighter than normal swords, isn't it?"

Cheshire hummed, amused.

"It is. It helps since I'm rather- _eh_. You know. Physical strength it's not my forte."

"What is it made from? It's a lighter colour too!"

Cheshire raised her eyebrows. The girl had only seen her katana about what, one time, two at most?

"It's an alloy, I think. Though I'm not sure what were the metals used for it... I know one of the elements that were used, but that's a secret."

"Well, where was it created?"

Cheshire grinned.

"It's from a smith back where I was born. She's a rather skilled woman."

'_Back where I was born'. _Because it wasn't 'home'.

Now Tenten was the one who smiled.

"A woman made it? Really? Wow, that's impressive! I don't think there are many females smiths out there!"

"No, there aren't." She then considered a crazy idea, a wild thought. "Perhaps... Perhaps one day you could discuss with her about the making of sharp and pointy thingies."

It wasn't allowed. She shouldn't have said it. She was sure her father would frown upon that subtle not-quite-invitation.

There was a reason why they stayed away from everything.

* * *

They were all eating dinner around the bonfire; some sort of soup Santino had just finished cooking. Around them, the forest whispered and moved and simply breathed liked a living being.

And perhaps it was.

"Just _how _dangerous is this place, huh?" Naruto voiced.

Cheshire looked lazily at him.

"You _saw _Sanguini, remember? You saw a _Demon _that wanders around and likes to rip living things into parts. And that just _one _of the things that you can find in here, Naruto."

He hummed.

The others looked around themselves, eyes casted on the shadows of the trees.

"So" The blonde pressed. "It's pretty dangerous, right?"

Cheshire arched a disapproving eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. She had a half-smirk on her face, and looked oddly haughty.

"No one of you would stand a chance without me or Santino in there, _duh_. At best, you'd survive about five min-"

Santino's hand collided with the back of her head in a rather rough way, making her jump and spill some of her- _hot_- soup into her hands.

She hissed.

"_Pride, Aisha." _The man next to her said casually, as if he just hadn't hit his student in the head.

"But sensei, I was saying the truth and you kno-"

"_Hush."_

"But I-"

"Don't."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it. Or is it that you're asking for another lesson to humble yourself?"

He looked at the girl in the eye. She averted her gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment.

"No, sir."

"Good."

The man kept on eating calmly, with a soft smile on his lips. For the rest of the night, Cheshire looked considerable more humble.

* * *

"I've seen you lately, Cheshire! It looks like this place puts you in good spirits!"

She shrugged at Gai.

"It does, I suppose. I'm very fond of this forest." She smiled.

He gave her thumbs up.

His teeth actually _shone_.

"Good! You seem filled with the joyous energy of youth!"

She made a mental note about how the man didn't actually ask her anything, he just made statements.

She giggled.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hah! Exploit your energy to its maximum, Cheshire! Be thankful for the gift of youth the universe has bestowed upon you!"

"Oh, okay."

"Now, tell me..." He looked at her as if he was about to reveal her a secret. "Have you ever thought of using one of these marvellous green suits? I have one or two spare!"

She started to mumble half-apologias and a thousand lame excuses and told her two or perhaps three rhymes and changed the subject multiple times only to finally vanish away.

* * *

She was staring intently at her set of cards. She chewed her bottom lip. She looked at her opponent at the other side of the wooden table they had taken outside.

This was one of the most confusing games in the history of the world- it was actually harder to explain than to actually play it. The cards were assigned different scores, it was mostly a matter of luck, of taunting and making your opponent confused- without _you _getting confused; it included many different yelled words, and silent gestures, and being as loud as you could to try to make your enemy get lost in the game.

It was better played in teams of two- and there were up to three or even four teams sometimes-, but they had both agreed they hadn't enough time to teach the others.

Besides, it was a game known for creating quarrels and small fights, people used to get perhaps a little bit too enthusiastic about it.

Cheshire huffed again, she was stuck. She didn't like getting stuck.

Sakura, on the other hand, was sitting next to her, looking at her cards and trying to understand the game that had picked up her interested. Santino smiled.

"Flower." He said.

"Double flower." Cheshire countered.

Sakura furrowed her brow. She still didn't understand what had flowers to do with the game, even if she was starting to get the basics.

"Trick."

"I want. How much?"

"Thirty-five"

"I'm out; with thirty-five I'm sure you have at least two pieces."

The pink-haired girl sighed. This was getting incredibly hard to follow.

"Are you going to sing?"

"No, I'd rather yell."

Sakura sighed- _again._

* * *

"Cheshire?"

"Oh, hullo Sakura. How are you faring on this lovely day?"

"Umm, good, I'm fine."

"I'm glad to hear so." Cheshire smiled at her.

"Hey..." The kunoichi gathered her thoughts. "Why did you set that place on fire?"

Cheshire stilled for the fraction of a second. And then she smiled again. This girl always wanted to know the _whys; _the motives behind every actions. It was a wise thing to do, Cheshire thought.

"Because I was angry, mostly."

"...That's your reason?" She looked... disappointed.

She should be. Cheshire wasn't proud of her actions; that didn't mean she regretted them, but she was sure it hadn't been the _good _thing to do.

"It is. If you're a fool enough to cage a wild animal and enrage it, prepare for it to bite everything on its way." She shrugged.

"But still, they were innocent people-"

"And children, and some cute kitten or two, and just married couples and expecting mothers. I _know_ all of that. I know it ain't a pretty thought, that's why I'd rather leave some things behind me. But I told you, if you take a beast from its home and tease and taunt and mock it... Be prepared for the worst." She shrugged again. "I snapped. I wasn't thinking. That's about it."

Besides... not that she would ever admit it, but she had had some guilty pleasure at some subconscious level of her mind when she let her flames loose.

They had wanted to label her a dangerous creature, a _Demon, _a beast?

Fair enough.

She had acted as the likes of so.

After all, she had done just what was expected from her.

* * *

Cheshire made a list of things.

Cheshire liked making lists.

Cheshire _believed _in making lists.

...Not that she actually followed them at the end, but hey, at least she tried, right? That was something.

...Right?

At any rate, she made a mental list. She had some business to settle.

She had to make a visit to her father soon enough; she had heard about the fire lion. Her father was the only person she knew that could summon such thing.

Besides... She should probably catch up with her training in there. She should probably read about thirteen documents stacked in the archives. She should probably find some other clothes to wear. She should probably try to make Nori like chess again. She should probably make a public appearance to keep the people calmed.

She should probably go back there soon enough.

* * *

"So..." Naruto started.

"So..." Cheshire mimicked.

"What was that about you not feeling guilty?" He blurted out.

She exhaled a heavy breath and twiddled her thumbs. She bit her lower lip. She looked at him.

"I'm not. I'm sorry. I know it wasn't right, but I don't feel guilty."

"But- but... _why?"_

She shrugged.

"I dunno. I just don't, I supposed. Logically speaking, I know it was _bad_. But I'd probably do it again if I was stuck in that situation another time."

"But I don't get it! If you _know _it was wrong, why don't you feel-"

"I just _don't_!" She didn't want to deal with this right now. She didn't want to deal with this ever, if possible. "Look, you need to understand that some times I simply react. I'm a time bomb. Sometimes... I just explode. _Boom. _And it's actually liberating in a certain way."

"But Chesh, that's so unlike you..."

She ran a hand through her hair.

"Is it?" She said. "Just _how _much you know me, huh?"

He fell silent.

"Exactly. Don't patronise me. I'm not always nice and polite and simply gentle. I snarl when I'm cornered, and I'm not ashamed of that. I _can _be dangerous to deal with if you're not careful."

"Would you... Would you attack me, if I cornered you?"

She was the one who fell silent this time. She was aware of her own faults, she _was _loyal, but to a degree.

Speak about unspeakable things, ask unaskable tasks, threaten unthreatable places...

Cheshire had her roots firmly buried. And some things, she simply would not tolerate.

* * *

**Just to let you know, the card game mentioned before is Truco, a popular- and utterly complicated- card game played here in some countries of South America. You can look for it on Wikipedia. **


	38. Author Note

**Okay guys, here's some input about why my updates have been so… less frequent tan before. I can't seem to be able to move forward with the plot. Why, you may ask? Because I'm not happy with what I've written up to this day.**

**Now, I'm **_**not**_** going to stop with this story- I'm too emotionally attached to it to stop anyway.**

**Here's what going to happen: You're not going to hear from this story in about one or two months- Yeah, I know it's a long time, and it can be extended to another month, sorry...- and I'm going to take that time to edit and rewrite most chapters. I'm not going to delete the story, just replace the chapters I don't feel comfortable with. **

**I just like things to be done the proper way, and when it comes to my writing... I'm sort of a perfectionist. So I want this story to come out five times better than what it actually is right now. I'm going to change some little scenes, adjust dialogs, and even tweak some little details of Cheshire. Other than that, the plot and core will be still the same.**

**So... I just wanted to say thank you all for reading this so far (I love you all you sack of not-quite-well-human beings, I do. Remember that) and tell you that from this breaking point onwards, this is going to be better.**

**Much better.**

**I hope.**

**Lots of love, **

**MsWolffe.**

**P.S. (I love when you people call me just Ms, it's like, the most generic nickname ever).**


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